A New Twist, On An Old Classic
by the-almost-invisible-kid
Summary: What might happen if Danny and Lindsay met outside of work. Chapter 35! It is finished! People, my work here has been depleted. I wish you all the best!
1. Chapter 1

Please go easy, it's my first story here. I appreciate all reviews. Thanks.

* * *

She couldn't think, she couldn't speak, she couldn't feel anything but the pain, that raked throughout her body, still clutching her shoulder, and biting her lip to keep herself from making to much noise, not wanting to attract any attention to herself.

T_ap...tap...tap._ She could hear his shoes, tapping endlessly, on the linoleum floor, they were getting louder with each step that he took back in her direction.

Finally, she dared to crack open an eye, and watched him as he looked over what he had just done, his face wasn't turned up into a smile, but ti had a smirk on it, that irked her, in a way she couldn't describe. With the semi-automatic still hanging loosely at his side.

He stepped out of the silent room, he closed the door, the bell ringing as he did, she remembered something about hearing sirens, but it seemed like such a long time ago, that she couldn't quite remember.

Once he was out of sight through the glass pane, a loud crack split the thin air like thunder, a sound which she recognized immediately.

_Gunshots._

The the silence was filled with the sounds of crashing feet, and men shouting orders at one another. Her heart was racing already. She jumped when someone put a hand on her, mostly out of fright rather than pain, but her sudden movements sent pain coursing through her body.

"Hey we got a live one!" The officer called out, to no one in particular, putting his gun back at his side, he slid his hands beneath her legs and under her back. As he lifted the fragile teenager into his arms, careful to avoid her wounded shoulder, and carried her out to the awaiting paramedics.

She remembered something about seeing her parents outside, their faces were relieved, yet sullen, and she couldn't quite understand why. Her whole body hurt, and she struggled to see them at first, but resorted to just lying back, and waiting until the paramedics allowed them to see her.

The swirl of people around her, trying to take the pain away, and loading her onto the stretcher, driving her to the hospital, and the press lurking everywhere trying to get her statement. Even the crowd of her small town friends, seemed strangely unfamiliar to her. Her memory of everything was a little foggy at first, but when she had been sedated, everything she had seen came back like a movie playing in her mind, with it's sole purpose being to just play over and over again.

She saw him walk in and eye the woman behind the register, counting the days money, mumbling softly to herself, then the four friends sitting at a table near the back, laughing about something that was said. He looked around the rest of the room but not one other person was in sight. The she realized what it was, he had clenched within his palm.Her first instinct was to get in front of her friends. And she was almost successful, the bullet clipped her in the shoulder, and brought her down in a wave of unbearable pain. Closing her eyes at the pain, she heard the shots ring out again, and again, and again...

"No!" She yelled sitting up in her bed, her forehead damp with a cold sweat, and her body shaking uncontrollably.

_It was just a dream, you're fine, it was just another dream._

A now much older Lindsay Monroe, told herself as she sat in bed trying to calm her racing heart. Even though it had happened all those years ago, it still ate away at her to this day. Not being able to sleep one peaceful night since it had happened.

All those adults accusing faces, staring her down, until the pain became too great to handle. She got out of her bed, and began walking around her living room, even after her legs became tired, she didn't dare sit down. All she wanted was a distraction, and sitting back down, would only push every minuscule thought, to the front of her brain, and she didn't want to lie back down for fear the dream would again return, so she simply paced until morning.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay so I'm super stoked about all of the reviews I got, thanks everyone that read and like my story. Couldn't sleep last might, so thought I would write some more, and thus chapter two was born. Sorry it gets confusing, or doesn't make a lot of sense, like I said it was late, would love some more reviews of any kind.

the-almost-invisible-kid

* * *

Mac Taylor watched his newest investigator as she walked down the hall and into his office, instantly scorning herself that she hadn't knocked, but felt better when he didn't acknowledge it.

"Detective Taylor?" He nodded but said nothing.

Which she took a sign to continue, "Lindsay Monroe." She stated confidently.

"Ah yes, my new investigator from Bozeman," She nodded, "Please sit." He said extending his hand toward the chair in front of his desk, which she gratefully accepted.

Nervously bouncing her hands on her knees, she tried to get her nerves under control.

"You'll be working with Stella Bonasera this morning. Your actual partner is working on a different case, and we wanted to start you off slowly."

She hoped that her disappointment didn't show, she had been hoping to get the new guy thing over with quickly, but it looked like that might not happen after all.

"Okay." She said quietly.

"If you're ready now, I'll show you to Stella." Standing from the uncomfortable chair, she nodded, and took the first steps of the rest of her life.

XxXxXxX

Lindsay sat on the only bar stool she could find that wasn't wet occupied, or next to someone who looked like they could easily inflict bodily harm. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, but then again she didn't really remember getting up. Not that she was drunk, quite the opposite actual, she had barely finished the drink she had started on some two hours ago.

But there she sat, alone at Sullivan's thinking about the hours before, when she had been sitting only a few feet away laughing and talking with Stella, Hawkes, and Flack, all of whom she had met earlier that day. But they had gradually left.

Until it was just she and Flack, around ten he offered to split a cab with her, but she told him that she hadn't had much to drink, and assured him that she would going home alone. Although he didn't feel too good about leaving her there, it wasn't like he could force her to let him see her home, he finally left after making her promise to call him after she made it home okay, no matter the time.

Glancing down at her watch, she groaned.

_How can it be eleven thirty already?_

She reached into her purse, and fished out the correct number of bills to pay for her less than half empty beer. She stood with all intention of leaving, when she ran into a solid chest, and went sprawling backwards, hitting her head hard against the floor.

"Oh, man are you okay?" A thick accented voice asked her, even though she couldn't see him, her heart skipped a beat when she heard his voice.

He tried not to take advantage of her eyes being closed, and give her a once over, because he knew her head must hurt like no other, but he also couldn't help but admit, someone had given this girl the Kool-Aid.

Her hands went right to the pain, which was quickly spreading to the front of her head, she nodded at first, but quickly shook her head, "No, no it really hurts." She responded to his earlier question.

He grabbed her elbows so that eh could lift her from the floor and still allow her to keep holding her head; his hands felt safe, and strong as he lifted her and lead her to a chair.

"Here sit tight, I'm gonna get some ice."

He let go of her arms, and returned a few moments later, "Okay this might hurt a little bit." He gently pulled her hands away from her throbbing head, and pushed the ice pack in their place. She knew he was trying to be gentle, but she couldn't stop the hiss that escaped her lips at the pain. Which caused him to immediately remove the ice pack.

"Maybe you should do it?"

She opened her eyes for the first time to see an ice pack in front of her, nodding she slowly brought it to the back of her head, it still hurt, but not as much as before. He walked around in front of her, and took the open seat there.

She watched him as her eyes adjusted to the low light, and smiled at the handsome creature before her.

He smiled at her smile, as he looked her over, not feeling quite as guilty this time it was a few moments after that, that he extended his hand "Danny Messer, concussion causing extrodinar at your service." She took his hand and giggled, trying to remember the last time she had giggled.

"Lindsay Monroe, walking collusion course, at yours."

He laughed as well, and returned his hands to it's resting place on his thigh, a waitress walked up to their table addressing herself to Danny, and Danny alone.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked, _'casually'_ pulling on the bottom of her shirt, exposing more cleavage, but Danny didn't seem to notice.

"No thanks, you?" He asked turning to Lindsay.

I'm good." She asked, reluctantly finding something to look at other than Danny.

The waitress looked a little disgusted at not being noticed, and walked away shaking her hips wildly hoping that he would turn around. But shrugged when his eyes stayed on Lindsay, and moved to the next table full of guys.

"Well it's getting late, I should probably get on home."

Danny nodded, in agreement, "It was nice to meet you thought."

"It was, thanks again for the ice pack."

"Don't mention it, it's the least I can do after mauling you."

"Yeah I would shake your hand, but I'm not sure that's such a good idea considering our history."

He laughed when an idea struck him, "Here, no hands." He said, placing them behind his back, and leant forward placing a small kiss on her temple. She smiled, because it was the only reaction she could muster at the time.

"Here before you go, let me take a look at that." He said seemingly unaffected by the altercation.

She turned so that he could see the small bump forming on the back of her head.

He stepped back int her line of sight, "It doesn't look too back, but you should probably keep ice on that for a little while longer, and then again in the morning."

"Okay thanks." She said.

Danny nodded, "Alright you have a good night Lindsay."

"You too." She left the bar, and started walking toward the subway.

_God he was gorgeous, and those beautiful blue eyes. Why did I have to meet him as dork Lindsay? At lease I won't have to see him again._

Danny saw her walk away, and went to the edge of the curb, hailing a cab, lost in his thoughts.

_God she was gorgeous, why didn't I have to tackle her? I swear I can't be normal around some people._

Lindsay went home that night, he thoughts consisting of_, he was so cute...I can't believe I didn't get his number...maybe I should look him up on Google?_

Danny's thought were more or less the same, both went to bed thinking of the other person, and both forgot to call the person they had promised too call the instant they arrived home, but what they wouldn't discover until later, is they both forgot to call the same friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Behold Chapter three. Loving the reviews you guys, I am also extremely happy to report they are all encouraging and kind ones at that. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well, I had the basic idea about this one, but I wasn't sure how it would turn out, hope you like the final product.

p3karen sorry for your confusion, when my friends and I say refer to someone as having drank the Kool-Aid, it just means we think that they are exceptionally good looking.

If anybody else has any questions, please ask, I hate reading something I don't understand.

* * *

The rest of the week went by with a certain ease, Danny's case had finally been resolved and he could finally get back to his normal routine, only now he would have the annoyingly wonderful, thoughts of that mesmerizing girl he had met only six days before. Danny walked into work Monday morning, still thinking of Lindsay and beating himself up, that he hadn't gotten her number, or walked her home on a account of her head.

Lindsay thoughts also revolved around Danny wondering where he was, or what he was doing, what he was thinking about.

_Get a grip Lindsay, he was just some guy in a bar trying to do the right thing, I mean with a face like his he probably already has a girlfriend. Erg, this is going to be the death of me._

She was walking down the halls of the crime lab, which were becoming increasingly familiar to her, on her way to see Hawkes and Flack about their body. When a blond haired, blue eyed guy walked out of Adam's lab, glancing up at her and then back down at his work.

_What the? Was that Danny?_

She turned around to see if she could catch him, but had no such luck, only finding an empty hallway before her.

_Okay now not only do I have to think about him all the time, I get to see him everywhere too. Fantastic!  
_

Shaking her head, she turned back around and kept walking down the hallway trying to get his adorably cocky smirk out of her mind.

XxXxXxX

Danny had just rounded the corner and stopped short.

_Was that Lindsay?_

He turned back and saw no one, but Adam doing something in the lab he had just left. He turned back around and right into Flack.

"Oh hey Danny."

He shook his head, trying to clear his jumbled thoughts "Hey Flack, what's up?"

Don shrugged his shoulders, "Nothing much, hey where were you the other night? We all went out with your partner, whom you still haven't met yet."

Danny shrugged this time, " Don't know, I think I had some stuff to finish up here."

He nodded to show he understood "Well you need to meet her soon, she's pretty great you know."

Danny was confused, he had only been half listening to what Flack was saying, he kept thinking about that girl, that was quickly becoming his drug of choice, "Who's that again?"

"Your partner."

"Oh right I knew that, I should really meet her soon."

Flack smirked, "Well my friend today is your lucky day."

Danny was amused by his friends sudden giddy attitude, "And why is that?"

"Because I'm on my way to visit your partner currently, and it would be my pleasure to introduce you two, would you like to accept this offer?"

Danny nodded, following his friend to and down the elevator, walking into the morgue.

"Stay here, don't want you to piss your pants in front of her or something."

Danny smiled at the old joke from when he was a rookie and almost lost his lunch over s body Sid had worked his twisted magic on.

Don returned a few moments later with his back to Danny, "I give you, your partner." He said, turning her around and watching in confusion as the color drained front both faces.

He looked back and forth between the two, "Am I missing something?"

Danny was the first to recover "Ah no...no here, why don't you tale this to Mac, I had to do it anyway," He said, thrusting the file into Flack's open hands, "But I want to talk to Lindsay for a little while." Silently Danny prayed that Flack didn't pick up Lindsay's name being said.

"Sure." He said eyeing the two and shrugged thinking it was something that he had missed during their introduction.

Danny turned back to face Lindsay, who had found her way to a chair and reluctantly sat down. He picked a seat a few chairs over from hers "So...this is kind of awkward isn't it?"

She nodded still trying to find her voice, still in shock that she had thought those things about her partner.

They sat in silence trying to determine what to do, when Lindsay turned to him and asked the question that they were both thinking. "What now?"

Danny shrugged, hating this Jr. High feeling, "I don't know."

She turned back and started counting floor tiles, and at sixty three she had devised a plan, which was as good as any from where she was sitting. "Well it was nice to meet you Danny." She said standing, and extending her hand to shake his.

He squinted confused for a fraction of a second, before he got it.

_Go about as if nothing happened._

He nodded, so she knew he had gotten it, "It was nice meeting you too Lindsay Monroe, and I look forward to working with you."

She was a little taken aback by how quickly and flawlessly he changed characters, "Same here." She replied shaking his hands and watching him leave, her eyes lingering downward.

_Stop it Lindsay, you have to be professional about this, no matter how good his ass looks...oh gosh this is going to kill me._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four is here, and it took he a while to get this one up to this point, and I kinda just winged the ending, so be gentle.

* * *

Danny stood in the locker room, in nothing but jeans and a wife beater, after taking the coldest shower of his life. He felt even worse as the cold air sent chills down his spine and the cold metal of the locker kept reminding him of things he told himself he wasn't allowed to think about.

"Hey Danny." Hawkes greeted, as an attempt at conversation, but upon seeing how awful Danny looked, regretted the move.

Danny turned around and mumbled something in return before grabbing his shirt and shoes, which contained his socks and shutting his locker door. Hawkes noted that Danny had used much more force than was actually needed and stalked from the room. He stood shocked for a moment, having never seen anything tick Danny like what was ticking him right now.

XxXxXxX

Lindsay wasn't dealing with it much better, she just did it in a more lady like manor. After going to their office, secretly hoping Danny wouldn't have the same idea, but when she didn't find him there, she sat down letting out the breath she didn't know she was holding. As Lindsay began running over cases.

Flack realized moments after delivering the folder to Mac that he hadn't actually talked to Lindsay about there case and had been on his way to do just that, when he got more than his money's worth.

Lindsay had picked up talking to herself from her mother, she had been able to keep it under control most of her life, but in instances where she was experiencing extreme stress, or fear she would begin to speak to herself, almost without realizing it.

"How could you do this Lindsay, he's your partner..."

Flack rounded the corner, and Lindsay stood facing away from him towards the wall, to someone who he couldn't see.

"It shouldn't matter that he's you know, charming, and funny, and really, really good looking..." Lindsay's tone had shifted from anger, to a sort of hazy state, but snapped out of it so quickly Flack had to desperately keep himself from laughing.

"That doesn't matter, because he's your partner, and you shouldn't think of him in that way, because you and Danny are just friends and nothing more...right? God, why me?"

She turned back around and dropped the papers and pencil she had once been holding in her hands, and sent her hand sailing over her heart.

"Oh my gosh Flack...Oh, my gosh Flack!" Lindsay looked around desperately, "How, how much of that did you hear?"

"Enough." He replied smiling.

She groaned inwardly and put her head down in her hands and his smile only continued to grow, clearly he was enjoying himself.

"Please, Flack I'm begging you, don't say anything."

"To who?"

"To anyone, I don't care who it is, just please don't tell anyone."

"Don't tell anyone what?"

She smiled, "Exactly."

Turning Don left the room, and Lindsay went around behind her desk, to retrieve the papers and pen that had fallen behind there, getting quite low to the floor in the process.

Passing Danny on the way out, Don's smile grew, though he said nothing. Danny walked past him confused.

The young detective stuck his head around the corner.

_Good no sign of Lindsay, now all I have to do is just get my stuff, and go home, and I will be okay until tomorrow morning._

He sat down at his desk and started to grab his keys from his top drawer, when something moving across the room caught his attention. It was Lindsay sitting up, holding papers, and what looked like a pen.

"Oh hey." She finally made herself say.

He smiled not sure what else to do, Lindsay nodded, as if she hadn't expected anything more out of him, and he felt guilty for isolating himself.

_Gosh Messer, you said you could be normal, come on, you can be normal, she's just a girl._

He pushed the words out of his mouth. After all what would Aidan think of him chickening out over some girl.

"So where ya from?" He asked, his voice barely registering.

She was surprised by the attempt to say the least, but at least he was trying, "Montana."

He smirked, "Montana." He repeated with a sarcastic swagger in his voice.

"Yes, and don't make fun."

He laughed and continued to tease her about it. About two hours later, and they were talking like old friends, no tension of any kind sexual or otherwise.

She had begun to tease him about the Yankees loosing to the Red Sox last Sunday, he was less than enthusiastic.

"Hey, hey take it easy there Montana." He hadn't been trying to be mean, or even funny, it just kind of came out, but when he saw her expression, he knew it was going to have to continue.

"What? You don't like me calling you Montana?"

"Danny don't..."

"Don't what Montana." He asked coking his head to one side, and smiling slyly.

"Shut up Messer." She said looking back at her computer.

"Whatever you say Montana."

She hung her head, and groaned, "You are so not funny."

He laughed and looked back at his paper work that in the two hours they had been sitting there, had yet to be finished.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry if you've been waiting. It took me longer than I would have liked to finish this chapter, it's a little short, again sorry. Hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I enjoy liking it. Glad you guys have stuck by me to this point, not really sure where I'm gonna go from here, suggestions are welcome, and will be praised. Thanks. Peace.

* * *

The next couple of weeks weren't much of a challenge to say the least. Danny and Lindsay had mostly put what happened behind them, although it was into the beginnings of summer, which meant big trouble for the two C.S.I's.

Lindsay had come into work that morning in a skirt and tank top, it was one of her most conservitave yet breathable skirts she owned, unfortunately it wasn't all that conservative.

Walking inside the apartment building, silently thanking God it wasn't as hot in there, she was pulled from her thoughts when Flack let out a low whistle.

"Shut up."

He held up his hands in defense, "You picked it."

She rolled her eyes and asked where Danny was.

"He's in the back, it's that was." He said jerking a thumb over his shoulder, "I'll let you two love birds get down to business, but don't take too long or people will start to get suspicious."

A look of horror crossed her face, and glanced around thankful no one was in ear shot. Before turning back and gripping a piece of his skin through the shirt and twisting hard. He stifled back and jerked her hand away, softly rubbing the throbbing skin. She smirked and headed to the back room, shivering upon entering because it was even colder that close to the AC Unit.

"Hey Danny you wouldn't happen to have a jacket down here?"

She heard his intoxicatingly sexy laugh ride the air back to her ears, "Not in this weather Montana, but my shirt should be around there somewhere if you want that."

Lindsay glanced around a moment, before spotting the navy blue oxford discarded on the floor. "Thanks." She called slipping the shirt over her shoulders and taking a deep breath, breathing in the sent that was Danny.

"Where are you?" She called, softly hearing the echo of her own voice.

"Back here." Came the reply, along with a hand sticking out from behind a low wall.

She forcefully brought herself back from the smell she had accidentally taken in again, and walked near the place she had seen Danny's hand and took and knee near him.

"You're lucky it's cold down here Montana, or you would be looking at a puddle of person, and the decomp. Don't even get me started."

She laughed and reached back for her kit, "I take it you've had a scene like this before."

He nodded, "A kid found dome guy strung to a tree in the middle of July, and by the time we got there all that was left was trace and a horrendous smell."

She smiled and glanced at him for the first time, and right then it dawned on her. As her eyes dropped to his torso, her brain made the connection. That her wearing his button down would leave him in the undershirt again.

Danny felt he stare, and looking over at her, he followed her line of sight, his features producing a smug grin and taking two or three more pictures.

"Like what you see Montana?"

Her trace was broken, leaving her defenseless to the red now bright on her face, which only served to give Danny more amusement.

"Sorry."

He shot her a look, and shook his head, "Nah you don't gotta be sorry, just try to lay off it at work." He said winking and flashing her a smile.

"Can you get me some pictures of that bullet hole." Danny said, motioning toward the small hole embedded in the wall above them.

She nodded, waiting for him to hand over the camera that she assumed he had forgotten was hanging loosely around his neck, as his gaze returned to the ground.

Reached down she removed the strap from around his head, her fingernails scraping lightly against his skin, causing him to break out in chill bumps.

Danny gaze was taken from his work when Lindsay stood and his line of sight landed on her legs and the relatively short skirt he hadn't noticed. She knew he was staring a decided it was her turn to gain the upper hand.

His mind didn't register that she had turned towards him, just that he now had a perfect view of her legs. When he felt a warm fingertip on the corner of his mouth, he froze and prepared himself for the hard slap he assumed would closely follow. But when he looked up after a long moment, he was taken aback to find her smiling at him.

She wiped her thumb across his mouth and then back off on his wife beater, before smugly explaining, "You were drooling Cowboy."

His face resembled the color of a fire truck, and he didn't have time to turn away before she saw it and stifled a giggle.

Danny looked back at his work, happy her phone began to ring, giving her some sort of distraction.

"Monroe...Hey Stel...yeah sure, now? Be right there." She hung up the phone and placed it back on her hip. He finally found his voice and asked her who was on the phone, only it came out a few octaves higher than he would have liked, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Stella wants me to take the evidence we have so far back to the lab and start processing."

Without turning around he handed her the bags of evidence he had collected before hand, and tried to stay focused. Which proved to be harder than it sounded when she took hold of his fingers during their transfer, and softly replying to the unspoken words.

"See you later Cowboy."

After she left Danny couldn't get what she had said out of his head.

_What in the name of all things Holy was with that tone?_


	6. Chapter 6

Alright UBER short, and I apologize. But school has been crazy, and I haven't had anytime to write. I wanted to write their lunch out, but every time I did, I didn't like the way it ended up. If anybody has any ideas about that for me, I would greatly appreciate it. Hope you guys like what I did though. More to come, hopefully soon.

* * *

Danny's ride with Don was a weird one. He kept getting the feeling that Flack was looking at him, and when he would glance over at him, the look was one that gave him an irking feeling.

"Flack, are you okay?" Danny asked, barely having the courage to glance at him.

"Yeah fine why?" His tone was one, where Danny could tell he was smiling, but also hiding something. And he didn't like not being in on the joke.

"No reason, you just seem...different, that's all."

"Nope, I'm fine."

"Okay, just checking." He shifted more towards the window, hoping that he could just ignore him the rest of the way.

Thirty minutes later, he was hoping excitedly out of the car. He was going to take Lindsay the rest of the evidence.

"Hey Montana." He couldn't help but notice, that she was in different, more work appropriate clothes, but remained in his shirt.

"Hey Danny what can I do for you?" She asked, turning with a smile.

He set the bags down, "Well you could start by helping me find my shirt, I can't figure out where it went."

"Anything that relates to our case?" She asked, handing over the shirt, and intently watching his muscles flex, as he slipped the thin fabric over his shoulders.

"I found these near the body." He said, placing his hand on top of a small bag containing red string, "And there was sand on one of the shelves above him."

She nodded holding the smaller bag up into the light, trying to gain a better angle on them.

"Was there any sign of a struggle?"

He nodded, "Not at the scene, but his arms were covered in defencive wounds, so I'm thinking he was probably in a fight somewhere else."

"Sounds good. COD?"

"Just sent the body to Sid, so I don't think he's got it yet."

She nodded, and turned back to the table.

Now was his time to leave he got that much, but he didn't feel like it just yet. He glanced around trying to find a reason to stay, when he finally caught a glimpse of the clock.

"Hey you had lunch yet?"

She shook her head, but provided no verbal answer, intently looking at her work.

"Well, would you maybe want to have lunch...with me?"

She smiled, and turned her face up to look at him. "Daniel Messer, are you asking me to a lunch date?"

He returned the smile, and stepped closer to her, "That depends are you saying yes?"

Lindsay stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out if this was a trick or not. Before nodding slowly.

"Really?"

"Are you changing your mind cowboy?"

He shook his head quickly, "No, no...I just didn't think...never mind. You ready?"

"Yeah." She said, stripping off her lab coat, and following him out.


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, here is the low down. I still had no idea what I was going to do for Danny and Lindsay's lunch date, so I pretty much am just going to leave it to all of your imaginations. Sorry if anyone was really looking forward to reading it, because I've never really been all good with those kinds of things. I much prefer blood and guts. So here is the finished product of chapter seven.

XxXxXxX

She let out a long breath, and dropped her head, looking at her shoes. Taking a step back, she leaned against the door hoping for some kind of support, her brain still trying to process. Apparently it was more content with just the replay.

_They had stepped off the elevator, and walked down the hall in silence, why exactly Danny was walking up with her she couldn't remember, but it wasn't of much importance to her at that moment._

_"Thanks for lunch Danny." She had told him, in a daze._

_"No problem."_

_Her keys remained clenched in the palm of her hand, because it seemed to require far to much brain power to turn around and put them in the lock._

_He kept glancing down at her hands, and back up to her face, when she finally noticed that he was standing closer than before. Much closer than was needed for their encounter, of saying goodbye._

_Keeping the smile from her face, she pretended not to notice that he was leaning forward, but only slightly. Trying to keep herself from getting caught up in the moment, because getting caught up in it, can ruin it, just as fast._

_He hadn't moved in a munite or two, seemingly waiting for her to give him some kind of a sign that what he was doing was alright with her._

_Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him. She started to move her hand to the back of his neck, helping to speed up this painfully slow process._

_But what she hadn't remembered, after getting herself caught up, was that her keys were still occupying the space in the palm of her hand, as they inched closer. The loud clinging of the metal hitting the tile echoed through the hall, breaking their trance, and they stepped away from one another._

_Danny smiled at her sheepishly, as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but her for a long moment. Both very aware of what had almost gone down._

_She just stared at the floor, where her keys had landed, cursing the fact that keys made a sound when they hit tile floors. She had been so close she could feel his body heat, radiating off of him, but it was too late now. She heard him say something about it being late, and to have a good rest of the night, as she bent down to retrieve her keys._

_Sure enough, when she stood up, she saw his retreating figure down the hall._

XxXxXxX

Walking into work Monday morning Danny caught a glimpse of Lindsay. In a brown V-neck that was going to drive him crazy. He decided it best to steer clear of her, but fate had other plans.

He ended up walking right into her, literally.

Danny reached out to catch her arm in an attempt to keep her from falling, and she ended up about half in his arms, but mostly pressed up against him. With an arm slung around his neck, and another clinging to the tails of his shirt. Giving him a fine shot of her cleavage.

Quickly becoming aware of their current position, they righted themselves, and moved from each others arms.

She smiled a thanks and kept walking, he moved back to their office, and placed himself at his desk.

Having been assigned to desk duty since arriving late to work a few days ago. Not many things were placed on his desk, and he finished most of it very quickly. He had been doing the same kinds of paperwork for the last two hours, and his mind began to drift toward other, more attention catching things.

Like the top Lindsay had chosen that morning. Or more impotantly what was under that top.

His imagination began to spin with all kinds of fantasies, in all kinds of locations. Most of which took place in their office, in the middle of the work day.

"Hey Danny."

He had been leaning back in his chair, but snapped to attention at the sound of her voice.

Sitting up too quickly, he brought his knee in contact with the underside of his desk. Releasing a strangled cry, he brought his hands to the spot of pain, he realizing on his way the pronounced condition of one of his most prized possessions.

"Are you okay?" She asked, starting to move it see it.

"I'm fine!" He said, quickly. But thankfully not angrily.

"Alright..." She drawled, moving back to her own desk.

Sitting up straighter, he started to quote baseball stats in his mind, to try and help himself.

He heard Lindsay sigh contently, and he resisted the urge to groan in agony, looking up at her. The pen she had, hanging out of the side of her mouth, as she chewed lightly on it, while reading.

_She has got to be doing this on purpose._

"I've gotta go." He said, hastily standing, grabbing the case file on his desk, and shielding himself from her eyesight.

Stella walked past him, thankfully on the other side of file, and into their office.

"What's up with him?"

"How should I know." She said with a shrug, and a curious glance back in his direction.


	8. Chapter 8

Alrighty. Super sorry it took me this long, but I wasn't really sure how to do this chapter, I do however have a few more after this, so I should be able to update more regularly. Again uber sorry, and I hope it doesn't suck.

Enjoy

XxXxXxX

Danny tread slowly down the hallway, having come from the locker room, finally getting his problem under control. When Stella approached him.

"Hey Danny, you feeling any better?"

Turning towards her, he put on a look of confusion, thinking she might have seen why it was he had been leaving the office before.

"Hmm?"

"You seemed a little off earlier. I wanted to know if you were okay?"

"Yeah, I'm--I'm fine, thanks for asking."

She smiled, nodded and moved on. He breathed a sigh of relief, letting out the thought of having to have the most embarrassing conversation of his life.

"Danny--" Lindsay's voice rang out, causing him to turn, "Got a scene."

XxXxXxX

The rest of the day was fairly normal, Danny got back from the scene heading for the labs, where he failed miserably at not flirting with Lindsay, who made it an almost effortless art form. At the end of the day, he noticed her heading for the front as opposed to the parking garage, to hail a taxi no doubt, and he decided to put on a charming smile and be a good _friend_ in offering her a ride home. To which she graciously accepted.

Only they arrived at Lindsay's apartment, the silence they had ridden in was broken..

"Do you want to come up for some coffee, or a beer?"

Danny took a moment to study her anticipate face, and went against his better judgement in saying yes.

They walked down the hallway nervously, and stood in an uncomfortable silence as Lindsay couldn't seem to recall not only the layout of her own keyring, but also the proper way to insert a key into a deadbolt. But as Lindsay relaxed walking into the familiar setting that was her apartment, Danny could feel the tension melting from his shoulders as well.

He was eyeing her apartment, when his eyes ran over her questioning face.

"Ah, I'm sorry what?"

"I asked if you wanted something to drink?"

"Um, water would be good, thanks."

She nodded and padded off into the kitchen, in her stocking feet. As Danny toed off his shoes as she had done when they walked in. She emerged a few moments, or possibly a few minutes later Danny wasn't really sure. Carrying two bottled water, and a bowl of popcorn. Holding one out to him, which he accepted with a smile. Watching her walk over to the couch, sitting comfortably back on the couch.

Danny continued standing, content on just watching him, she felt his gaze divert. Not looking at anything in particular, just taking in his surroundings, his eyes following no path, until he found himself looking into her bright eyes and beautiful smile.

"You can sit down you know?"

He was brought back form his brief trip, "Right."

Danny sat in the middle of the couch, giving himself some distance so he would have to psychically move to do something stupid.

She flipped mindlessly through channels, while asking Danny if there was something he wanted to watch. He shrugged and shook his head, as she reached for the DVDs on the coffee table.

He wasn't sure when it had turned into a movie night, but he didn't have a problem with it, so he decided to leave well enough alone.

Finally she finished sifting through them, and turned back to Danny, and held out the box, silently asking.

"As long as it's not a chick flick, I don't care."

She laughed and stood to put the movie in, before returning to her seat.

"So what do we got?"

Lindsay pointed to a movie box on the table, and Danny twisted his head so he could get a better look at the open cover, and groaned inwardly when his eyes settled in on the title.

"_Must Love Dogs_, I specifically recall my saying no chick flicks and you go off and pick _Must Love Dogs_."

He expression changed to one of mock defence, "_Must Love Dogs_ is not a chick Flick, it's a good movie."

"It's a chick flick Montana, and you know it."

She shrugged off his comment, "Well then maybe you should have just picked the movie..."

He shook his head in disbelief, "Well if you had a better eyes for what exactly defines a chick flick then..."

"Shh, it's starting."

He cocked his head, in signal of protest, but the handful of popcorn being shoved at his face cut him short. After beginning to choke on the little bit that got lodged in his mouth, which sent Lindsay into a fit of giggles. When he finally got the breath back in his lungs, he turned to her a pretended to be hurt.

"That was not nice."

She smiled and in an impression of his accent, "All part of my charm."

Sending Danny into a fit of laughter, barely managing to get out, "That...was by far...the worst impression I have ever heard," Before becoming very serious, "And I don't sound like that." Before beginning to chuckle once more.

She smiled and returned her attention to the TV.

XxXxXxX

With the popcorn discarded, and the beers empty on the table and their movie more than half over. Lindsay began to realize that she was sliding herself further and further into the crook of Danny's arm, which had been placed over the back of the couch some time ago. Before long the movie had ended, and Lindsay stood from her position of actually having slipped into his arm. And turned to gaze at the sleeping figure.

She thought of smiling at the thought of how cute he looked while sleeping, only to have a wave of horror wash over her.

Lindsay started to pace, trying to find a way to get Danny somewhere else. But he had been working himself to the bone lately, and she didn't have the heart to wake him.

_Maybe if I get a neighbor to wake him, yeah that's...the dumbest idea ever._

She continued to pace for another few minutes, before finally deciding that she only had two options.

Wake him, or leave him.

_Dang, I guess he's just gonna have to sleep here._

She smiled at that thought of Danny sleeping soundly in her home.

Stepping forward she removed the glasses from his face, and placing them on the side table. Grabbing a blanket from the arm of the couch, and draping it across his body, she cringed and froze slightly when he roused a bit, but let out her breath when he settled into a more comfortable position.

Walking sleepily into her bedroom, she quickly, quietly changed into her pajamas before slipping under her covers, she began drifting off to sleep her thoughts still on the man sprawled out on her couch.

Smiling to herself as sleep finally over took her.


	9. Chapter 9

Thank goodness it didn't take me as long as last time. Happy to say that this one is a longer one than before, and my fingers hurt from typing. I am still loving all the reviews I'm getting, it's pretty awesome to get on and see new ones, so I thank you. And once more. Enjoy.

Danny awoke the next morning, to a blurry world, and he sighed reaching for a side table that wasn't in the right place. Frantically he slid his hands over the arm of something leather, and unto a table beside it, before his hands skirted over the frame of his glasses.

Grabbing at them, he unfolded the ear piece, and placed them on the bridge of his nose, and watched in horror as his eyes made out Lindsay's living room.

Standing up he moved calmly to fold the blanket and place it over the back of the sofa. Before turning to the sound, or rather the cease of a sound, which he hadn't realized he had been hearing until it stopped.

A few single drips, and he realized it was water he had heard.

A door was next, and he turned to see a heel rounding the corner, and then another door.

As he looked back over at what had been his resting place, he noticed that his shirt was lying discarded on the floor, and he moved to pick it up. Pulling the fabric over his body, he shook his head, and ran a hand through his hair, as Lindsay emerged.

Glancing over at her, he took in the strands of damp hair still clinging to her neck, and another V-neck that he was becoming so fond of, a pair of dark wash jeans, and to top it all off a pair of black _'Converse'_ High Tops.

"I didn't know you were a _Converse_ fan Montana."

She smiled as she passed him by, "There's lots you don't know about me Messer."

Following her to the kitchen he smiled.

"You hungry?" She asked moving around the island in her kitchen to the cabinets.

"Nah, I don't normally eat breakfast, I could go for some coffee though." He replied, glancing at the coffee maker beside her sink.

"Alright."

He watched her as she removed a mug from the shelf, and walked over pouring the steaming black liquid into the glass, before handing it back to him. Resisting the urge to smile, that he didn't even have to tell her that he took his black.

"You should probably be going in right now, huh?"

Throwing a glance at the clock, he nodded, and looked back at her.

"Yeah."

Taking a few more sips, he walked to the door, and placed his shoes back on his feet. Turning back he found Lindsay a few feet in front of him.

She smiled as he moved closer, and held out the cup to her.

"Thanks for the coffee."

Nodding she removed the cup from his grasp, grazing his fingers as she did.

Sighing, Danny finally turned grabbing his coat, he left the room.

XxXxXxX

Danny truly hadn't wanted to leave. But based on how well he knew himself, he knew that if he hadn't have left at that moment, the odds of his ending up on the outside of her front door were slim to none.

Chills shivered up his spine as he stepped outside, without the comfort of a jacket, which wasn't really fair to Danny, because it had been fine the day before.

_Perfect._

He thought_, _moving to the edge of the sidewalk and picking up his pace. Before long he had broken out into a run. His body gradually warming up at the faster flow of his blood.

People were notice Danny more than usual that morning, as he ran down the street in his jeans and tee shirt, in what had to be 40 degree weather. He didn't mind the attention that much though, it hadn't really been a new thing for him, since starting high school.

Finally he reached the subway, and he moved himself to one of the benches, and attempted to catch his breath, when he noticed a young woman looking at him. But instead of smirking and striking up a conversation with her, he just averted his gaze to his shoes. Trying not to notice.

Which proved to be easier said then done, when she moved over and sat down next to him.

He could hear the train approaching, and he stood walking over to the platform, and watching her follow.

Danny stepped onto the train, and tried to find the most crowed place on the train, but had no such luck that morning, so she simply stood behind his and continued to blatantly check him out.

After getting off, she walked beside him smiling. Looking at her, he offered a friendly smile.

Once the cold air hit him, he broke out into another rum, and didn't stop until he was safely inside the walls of the NYPD building. Out of breath and sweating profusely.

Flack walked around the corner and spotted his friend, chuckling to himself as he walked over to his side. Danny looked up and into the amused eyes of one of the NYPD's finer detectives.

"So, what exactly were your morning activities?"

Danny looked back down, and stated that he had ran to work.

Flack stared at his friend, "In that?"

Standing back up, he looked down at his attire, "You think it doesn't go with my shoes?" He asked, laughing at his own joke.

Don just shook his head, "Yeah, yeah laugh it up Messer, just remember I'm not the one who has to deal with Casey this morning."

He groaned, "I've got Casey today, are you serious?"

Flack nodded, walking off and calling over his shoulder, "I feel for you and Monroe, Danny I really do."

Looking up at the ceiling, Danny smiled at the thought of Lindsay being there to brighten his day after Casey.

It wasn't really anything personal against Detective Casey, he had just always considered himself to be a better cop, and an even better player, than he could really live up too.

XxXxXxX

Lindsay arrived on scene, and saw Payton coming out of the building. "Hey." She called, causing the other woman to smiled down at her.

"Good morning Lindsay." She said in passing.

"Mornin'."

"Oh Lindsay, I just want to warn you, it's not a pretty sight in there. One of the worst one all year."

She looked back over at the building, and turned back again.

"Thanks."

"Of course." She said smiling, and walking away with a wave over her shoulder to Lindsay.

Walking slowly into the building, while carrying her kit, and balancing her camera and coffee in the other hand. She began to survey her surroundings, but stopped when she saw Danny. Smiling that he had changed into something warmer than what he had left her apartment in.

He was talking to a man that she didn't recognize, and she watched as the mystery man gave her a once over. Danny turned at the gesture, and she saw Danny smile at her.

She returned it with one of her own bright well mannered smiles, which lessened when she met the eyes of the man standing behind Danny, who had obviously thought she had been smiling at him.

She had neared them by this point, and he stuck his hand out to her.

"Detective Michael Casey."

She graciously accepted his hand, "Lindsay Monroe."

"So you're another scientist?" Casey asked, seemingly interested.

Danny scoffed at the comment, but quickly tried to cover it with a cough.

Michael turned toward him, "Problem Messer?"

"No, no problem. Just don't you normally refer to us 'scientists' as computer geeks who don't deserve governments pay?"

Lindsay smiled slightly, but turned with a look of mock interest to Casey.

"Where do you need me Danny?" Lindsay finally asked, when it became clear that neither man was willing to lose the staring contest they had begun.

The use of his name caught his attention, but Casey beat him to the punch.

"You can come in here and help me, I'm not to familiar with all this science stuff."

She smiled at Michael and followed him into the back room, where she was met with an all too familiar setting.


	10. Chapter 10

Alright there you go. Glad everyone is liking it.

camilita nailed it with her diner theory.

Hopefully more to come soon.

* * *

Danny watched Lindsay follow mindlessly after Casey.

_Wonderful._

He thought.

_Now not only do I have to deal with Casey all day, I have to watch him hit on Lindsay too._

He resumed taking pictures of a bloody palm print, their only real piece of evidence, when he heard a familiar intake of breath.

Lindsay stood taking in the three bodies before her, blood covered and face down. Danny rounded the corner to make sure she was okay, but was surprised when she ran into him on her rushed way out.

Surprising him further, when she didn't push past him, but instead buried her face into his shoulder. It took him all of two seconds to react, and support her as she silently sobbed into his shirt. Looking around he saw Casey making his way back towards them, and he led Lindsay away from him, and outside of the building.

XxXxXxX

"Thanks Danny." She said quietly after he had walked her over to the SUV he had arrived in. He nodded, but inside he was still confused.

"Listen, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not talk about what happened in there."

He nodded again, "It's cool Montana, sooner or later the job gets to everybody. Don't sweat it."

"Yeah." She said quietly, but Danny still knew, it hadn't done much. Moving back, he helped her down form the inside of the car, and Lindsay couldn't help but notice the way that her hand fit nicely inside of his. But she quickly pushed that thought out of her head, and the empty space was consumed with things that she hadn't allowed her self to think about in a dozen years.

Danny processed the majority of the scene after Lindsay's incident, and he repeatedly asked her if she needed to leave, but she continued to decline, say that she just needed to take it easy. It still gave him an uneasy feeling about the way she had reacted, he had never seen her so vulnerable before.

She had always had her guard up around him, from day one, ready to return a bit of criticism, or a quip back at his mindless flirting. Whatever she had seen must have been horrible.

XxXxXxX

After running every piece of usable evidence, Danny and Lindsay were no closer to finding the killer than when they had started. He groaned and set his forehead down on the counter top.

"Again?" Lindsay asked, already having known the answer, he nodded and put the palm print back on the table.

"How does someone, who has apparently never gotten so much as a parking ticket in their entire lives, kill three teenagers, and not leave one piece of usable evidence?"

She looked back at the case file, trying to hide her face, which had gone white at his words.

"You know I had a guy once, who said he killed people to hear their dying words. Now I'm not quite sure if that was true or not, but I was a rookie and needless to say it scared the hell out of me, and to this day I still can't... Lindsay? Are you okay?"

She nodded slowly, but refused t look up at him.

"Nope not buying it, what's wrong?"

She smiled graciously, "Nothing Danny, I've just had this headache all day, and it's keeping me from focusing really."

He searched her face skeptically, before she smiled and he returned to his work.

XxXxXxX

Danny had tried to drop the subject, he really had, but he couldn't seem to get the image of the paleness in her face to leave hims mind.

Finally he caught up with her in the locker room before she had a chance to leave, and decided to find out what was wrong. She was replacing her badge on the top shelf of her locker when she heard he door.

Even without looking, she could clearly detect which handsome CSI was headed her way, but she merely glanced at him as he opened up his locker.

"It get any better?" He asked, removing his white button down and putting on her most favorite polo of his again. Lindsay stared for a moment out of the corner of her eye, at him standing before her in a wife beater.

But soon became aware of the question still hanging in the air unanswered, when he turned toward her expectantly.

"Did what get any better?"

"Your headache?"

It finally clicked, he was referring to their earlier conversation.

She casually shrugged her shoulders, "I guess, but I'm sure one I get home, and get some sleep. I won't remember a thing about any headache."

Smiling broadly at the remark, he turned back to his locker.

Lindsay gazed a moment longer at him, before turning and shutting her locker suddenly.

"Bye Danny." She said curtly, and moved toward the locker room.

He barely had the words out, before she was gone and he was left standing alone in the locker room, watching the door intently.

* * *

_Review please!_


	11. Chapter 11

So I've had lots of inspiration and time on my hands lately, and typed this one up pretty fast. Just didn't post. Hopefully in my haste it will be just as presentable as the others. Also, it was brought to my attention that I need to put a disclaimer, so here it is.

**Disclaimer: I do not own C.S.I NY. Because if I did, Don would be shirtless...all the time.**

Also I would like to thank Catty, for pointing out my typo in the last chapter. I typed Venerable, in stead of Vulnerable, sorry if there was any confusion, hopefully you all understood what meant, I've changed it already so don't go looking. If in the future their are any others I would love it if you would point it out to me, I don't take offense to it, I actually want to know so I can change it. But here's chapter 11 for your you viewing pleasure.

* * *

Lindsay wasn't a big drinker, but after what had happened to her this morning. She thought that she could use a drink or two... or ten. She wasn't sure how many she needed yet. She thought about Danny as she ordered her drink and sat at the same bar she had first met him in.

_I could have just told him._

She scorned. Taking her first rather large swig and settling in for a long evening.

After a few too many drinks she saw Danny walk into the bar, as first she thought she was imagining things, but once he locked eyes with her, she knew he was real. For even in her dreams she could never get his eyes quite right.

He scanned the crowed, and appeared to be getting ready to leave, when his eyes ran over her, and he nodded.

She watched him walking over to her.

"What's up Montana?" He asked sliding into the seat next to hers.

She smiled, but her tone was anything but happy to see him, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh you know, just making sure you get home safe and sound." He replied nonchalantly.

She laughed cynically and raised her voice so everyone around could hear, and she placed her hand over her heart and spat, "My Hero." Back at him.

He just smiled at the people who turned to look at him. Looking back at her, he reached for her arm.

"Come one Montana, let's get you home." Light pulling on her elbow.

But she tugged out of his grip. "But I'm not ready to go yet." Sighing he returned to his seat.

After a moment, her expression of anger turned to one of thought, before going to curiosity. As he watched the transformation, she turned to him, asking the question he was trying to come up with an answer for since sitting down.

"So--why are you here?"

Danny did his beat to make it seem like he hadn't heard her. But she seemed to have sobered up in the last few minutes, and knew that he was ignoring her.

"Come one Danny."

He turned to face her this time. "Alright, Stella said something about you coming here tonight after work. And after what happened today, I wanted to make sure that you were--okay."

Gazing back at her drink for a moment, she smiled, "Um, thanks."

He shook his head, and looked at the counter top. She reached for his hand, pulling him after her, as she tried to leave the bar.

"Where are we going?" He asked, struggling to pay for his and her drink, while grabbing the jacket he had shucked as he sat down.

She shrugged, "I don't know you were the one who wanted to leave." She stated walking out, still looking at him for direction. Looking around, as they had finally stopped and he slid his leather jacket around his shoulder, he pointed in the direction that would take them near her apartment.

XxXxXxX

They had been walking for about a half an hour, they passed an entrance to a park about two blocks from her apartment. Lindsay took a detour.

She had sobered up a little more, and was successfully walking on her own, under the watchful eye of Danny of course.

She wandered around aimlessly for a moment, as Danny just watched her. She was obviously unaware of the grace that she moved with, but the more he watched her the more intoxicating it came to him. Making almost every move she made, turn to magic somewhere between her and his eyes.

He was pulled from his thoughts, when he heard a loud curse come from her general direction. Quickly he came to her aid, seeing as she was in on state to get herself back up.

Danny silently led her to a park bench, and she was laughing by the time they reached it, and he sat next to her.

"What?" He asked, a smile gracing him.

"You just love picking me up once I fall, don't you?"

He smiled, at her reference to their first encounter. "Something like that." He replied glancing at the ground. When the clearing of her throat caused him to look up.

But her eyes were transfixed on something far away, if anything at all. But still she spoke.

"Have you ever felt like something was completely and totally your fault. But you knew in your heart that it wasn't. But everyone around you believes that it is. So you move halfway across the country because you think it would help you not fell so alone. But once you get there, you realize that no matter how many people you have that yo consider your friends, you have never felt more alone in your life?"

He was taken aback by the question, not really sure if she joking. Or it had been a legitimate question. As he reached an arm around her to pull her closer, but she remained ridged. Resisting his offer of comfort. But he was as much a hard ass as she was, and refused to give up that easily.

"When I was eighteen, my three best friends were killed." Her voice was deadpanned, and it stopped Danny, who was going to try to pull her too him again.

Danny now truly had no idea, what he was going to say to her, his silence allowed her to continue.

"That was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do, was testify at their trial. I had to look into the eyes of the man who killed my three best friends. And do you know what he did? He smiled at me. Like we were old friends passing on the street."

He looked down at their conjoined hands, the only comfort she seemed to receive.

"The last thing I ever did with them, was go to our senior prom. None of us had dates, not that anything else was new, but Aurora had the idea we should go anyway. At first nobody wanted too, but she always had a way of convincing us to do things. So we went, not one of us had ever been to prom before, normally we would just stay home and watch movies or something."

Danny smiled, as a smiled appeared on her face. But the tone of her voice suggested that she was telling a story more to just hear it one more time. Than telling it to Danny. Though he figured that if she wasn't going to acknowledge that she was there, than neither was he.

"But when we walked in, all anyone could do was stare at us. Like some kind of exhibit put on display--"

_**Flashback:**_

_**The four friends stood watching everyone else watching them.**_

_**"You do realize that everyone is staring at us?" Lindsay whispered to Amber, who was standing next to her, in her homemade prom dress.**_

_**"Come one Linds, relax and be happy." Emma said, leaning over to her friend.**_

_**By this time, Aurora had become agitated that everyone was still staring at them and decided that their time was about up.**_

_**"Okay--" She said, stepping forward from their group. As all eyes shifted to the small, yet respect demanding figure, " You can stop staring, we're just here to have a good time at the prom, we're not a freak show."**_

_**From within the crowd a familiar voice rang out in the gym walls, "Why don't you freaks, just go back to your farm?"**_

_**Now people turned to watch Casey Daniel step out. Looking at each of the girls before her, and feeling her friends step out to back her up.**_

_**"Who says you have mroe right to be here than we do?" Amber asked stepping up behind Aurora.**_

_**"Everyone," She said, as though it had been obvious, "Look around you. No one wants you here, everyone at this prom is hoping you will just get your things and leave."**_

_**Emma stepped forward beside Amber and Aurora, and soon Lindsay followed suit.**_

_**"Listen bitch. You can't make us leave, so we're going to have a good time at our senior prom, and if you don't like it then you can take your anorexic ass out that door." She said jerking a thumb over her shoulder.**_

_**Grabbing her friends by whatever was in reach, she pulled them from the center of the room, and over toward a food table.**_

_**"Why would you do that?" Lindsay asked, reaching over the punch bowl, for a plate of cookies and grabbing a handful, she always ate when she was nervous.**_

_**"Because you can't let people push you around like that" She said, reaching over and grabbing herself a cookie from Lindsay's over flowing hands, "Besides it's about time someone put that bitch in her place."**_

_**Just as the words had escaped her lips, a hand rested gently on her shoulder. She turned slowly to reveal the headmaster standing before her with his, classic you've pissed me off one too many times look.**_

_**"Yes headmaster?" She asked quietly.**_

_**"Sorry to bother you Ms. Nelson, but it seems you've been cursing on school grounds again. Also making threats against Ms. Daniel and her friend."**_

_**"What?" The foursome asked simultaneously.**_

_**"I didn;t threaten anyone."**_

_**"So you're telling me Ms. Daniel has lied to me?"**_

_**They all nodded, and he continued, "So you admit to the cursing."**_

_**Emma looked over her shoulder at her friends, each one knew she was looking at a third strike, and if she got in trouble now, she wouldn't be able to graduate. And there was no telling what her father would do if she got kicked out of another school.**_

_**But a rare moment of spontaneous courage emerged in Lindsay, as she stepped forward.**_

_**"No she didn't headmaster, I was the one who cursed sir."**_

_**The four before her turned to look at the small child. Each friend smiled broadly at Lindsay, but the headmaster just frowned.**_

_**"Well I can;t say I'm not disappointed in you Lindsay. You've been such a good infulence on these girls. I suppose that you've not really caused a disturbance before, so I want punish you too harshly. But you must leave this prom, and not return tonight. Are we clear?"**_

_**"Yes headmaster." They chorused.**_

_**He nodded and continued on his way.**_

_**They all stumbled out of the building, laughing hysterically.**_

_**"But really Lindsay," Emma said turning serious momentarily, "Thanks for taking the fall. I don't know what my dad would have done, had I got expelled from school."**_

_**"Hey, no sweat. What are friends for?" She said smiling. As they started to cross the street to a diner, they loved to spend late nights in.**_

_**"Oh damn it," Aurora said, looking around a moment, "I left my bag inside." She said turning back around, and crossing the lawn.**_

_**"Where do you think you're going?" Lindsay asked, stopping her from entering.**_

_**"Inside to get my bag. I thought that had just been established." She replied with a shrug.**_

_**"You can't go inside, headmaster just kicked us out."**_

_**"Look I'll only be a minute. Besides that bag cost me a lot of money, I'm not just gonna leave it there. I'm sure he'll understand." She said, slipping into the building, before anyone had the chance to protest further.**_

_**"Hey isn't that her bag over there?" Amber asked, pointing to a bag which had been shoved underneath a bush.**_

_**"Yes." Emma said, picking it up, and reading the signatures on the side.**_

_**"Why do I get the bad feeling, that she knew her bag was there?" Lindsay asked, looking between the bag and her friends.**_

_**"Because it's Rora." Emma said, sitting down on the grass, and waiting for her friend to return from her adventure.**_

_**XxXxXxX**_

_**Inside, Aurora approached Casey and ripped her around by her arm, tearing her sleeve in the process. Aurora wasn't normally a violent person, but if someone did anything a person she cared for, she would have you on a stake faster than you could blink your eye.**_

_**"Alright, this has gone on long enough. I have had it with you and every single one of your little puppets harassing me and my friends. So back off or I swear to God and everyone else here, that you will regret the day that you pushed me too far." As she turned back, silently patting herself on the back for the look of bewilderment that headmaster was producing at that moment.  
**_

_**"At least I'm not friends with the freak shows." She said, laughing softly at her friends.**_

_**Unfortunately for Casey, none of her friends were laughing as well, because they had seen Aurora turn back hearing the comment.**_

_**It took her a moment, but she did soon realize that she was the only one laugh and turned back to see why. But was met halfway, but Aurora's knuckles, her hand balled into a fist across her cheek, and she was sent sprawling backward. Everyone had to admit, although it had been a sucker punch and she had deserved it. They could n't deny that the girl had some strength hidden beneath her loose jeans and band tee shirts.**_

_**XxXxXxX**_

_**She emerged from the building, who had all placed themselves on the ground on the school.**_

_**"Well I couldn't find it, I think headmaster might have seen me though." She said walking past them, and feeling something hit her in the back of her head.  
**_

_**"Ow." She said, turning, and coming face to face with her bag, still covered in dirt and twigs. Looking back up she smiled, and picked up the bag turning to walk into the diner.**_

_**"Well at least you didn't gloat." Emma said, pushing past her into a booth at the rear of the room.**_

_**Thy couldn't have been sitting more than five minutes, before their laughter could be hear don the street. And the three had been trying desperately to get Aurora to tell them what she had done. When the bell on the front door rang out in the small diner, and everyone looked up at the man that would rule their every moment.**_

_**End Of Flashback:**_

The first ring of gunshots seemingly broke her trance, and she turned to look at Danny, who was still securely holding her hand. Lindsay just smiled, and thought how lucky she was to have him.

"Thanks Danny." She said quietly.

Danny snapped out of his own trance, at the sound of her normal voice, giving her a quizzical look, "For what? I didn't do anything."

She laughed and looked back over at him, "Exactly." Her smiled increased.

"Well I'm not sure I understand, but what the hell, you're very welcome." He said, laughing at him own confusion.

She laughed genuinely at him comment, and Danny couldn't help but think about how good it was to hear her laugh like that.

Lindsay looked over at him, he had closed his eyes, to listen to her laugh. His head leaned back on an imaginary head rest. It took everything within her not to sigh contently at the sight of him almost sleeping next to her, and themselves connected through their entangled hands.

"You're staring Montana." Danny said, peeking an eye open.

"You're stating the obvious Messer." She replied, mocking the sing-song tone he had used moments before.

He closed his eyes, returning his head to it;s original position. Pretending the exchange hadn't happened, and that she wasn't still blatantly staring at him. Lindsay studied his face closely, he looked completely relaxed, so different from the look of stress he had been sporting lately.

Summoning every ounce of courage she had within her, she leaned forward and placed a small kiss on his cheek.

Danny sat very still for a moment, try to determine if he had dozed off or not. Slowly opening his eyes he saw that she was some ten yards away from him now.

"Montana, where ya going?" He asked, effectively getting her to turn around.

"Home Cowboy, it's." She said with a little laugh.

He smiled when the sound of it reached his ears. Turning finally he left the park. Once Lindsay was out of view and he could no longer will himself to believe she was going to turn around.

* * *

Little bit of high school drama. Always a fun thing. And remember...

_**Read and Review!**_


	12. Chapter 12

It's short and I apologize for it. But it's all I've got, hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY.**

**

* * *

**

Slowly Lindsay made her way down the road. Wondering to herself, if Danny was still standing in the park where she had left him. It had taken almost everything within her not to turn around. But she hadn't thankfully so, and he would just have to go home without that satisfaction. Of course she had kissed him, even if it was only on the cheek.

She had just wanted to ahow him how much she apprechiated him being there for her, and she was pretty sure taht he recieved her message loud and clear.

Walking up to her apartment, she flopped down on her couch, and let the smell of her jasmine insense surround her, as she drifted dangerously close to sleep. But the thoughts of Danny, just seemed to keep her on the outskirts of it. Mostly she just invisioned the look he had in the park. How he had looked like he was sleeping next to her.

Lindsay began to imagine that she was lying partway on top of him, and not her pillow. She stayed with that fantasy until she finally drifted off to sleep.

XxXxXxX

Lindsay awoke in a haze, not but two hours since falling asleep on her couch, to the sound of her phone ringing. Canceling out her dream, much to her disappointment. Reaching up, and grabbing the phone off it's hook on her side table.

"Monroe." She said groggily into the receiver.

"Yeah, and you make fun of me for using my name." He said smiling into the phone.

"What do you want?" SHe asked, trying, and failing to be annoyed at him.

"You to get up and get moving. I'm headed to your place right now, we've got a scene out your way. So get up and get dressed Montana, we've got crime to fight."

She laughed into the phone, and mumbled a reply, before leaving her warm spot of the couch. Feeling a sharp shoot of pain go through her body, as her muscles stiffened, but that's what she got for sleeping on a stiff leather couch.

XxXxXxX

Danny and Lindsay pulled up in the SUV, he hadn't said anything about the kiss. Lindsay was curious about why, but she had said nothing about it either.

In truth all Danny could think about was the burning sensation on the side of his face that had kept him up more than half the night. That morning it was down to more of a small, yet O so noticable tingle. Which after being back in close vicinities with her, brought it back into it's full glory.

Their scene was processed fairly quickly and they headed back to Danny's SUV, it was then that they both feared their talk. Silently each climbed back into the car.

Danny drove from the scene, moving slowly on the rode he turned slightly toward Lindsay.

"Listen about last night--" Lindsay expected him to ask about what she had meant by the kiss, or if she had been thinking clearly. "What were you thinking about?"

She sat back in her chair, and considered his question, when truly she had no idea why she had told him. "Just some stuff." SHe said, looking at her hands.

"Stuff?"

She nodded, and Danny slammed a hand against the steering wheel.

"Come on Montana, that's a load of crap." He said, taking his eyes from the road long enough to catch her eye, before returning them once more.

"Look, Danny I really don't want to talk about this with you right now." She said, pleading him to just drop the subject.

"Don't you trust me by now?" The hurt he was feeling, was evident in his voice.

"No! It's no that at all. Danny of course I trust you, I do, I trust yuo everyday, and I have no doubt in my mind, that you are always going to be there for me. But I'm just not ready to talk about this with anyone. Believe me if I could tell anyone, you will be the first choice. Alirght?" She asked trying to catch his eye.

"Alright." He said, smiling over at her.


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry if I disappoint, but I will not be doing a Christmas chapter. I was thinking the other day about it, and the time line would be way off, there just isn't a way I can work one in. But Merry Christmas all the same. Hope you enjoy this Christmas Edition, that coincidentally, has nothing to do with Christmas!

* * *

Danny had driven Lindsay home from their crime scene, and she moved slowly down her hallway still trying to aline her thoughts.

First there was the pull. The pull that Danny had, where Lindsay was drawn to him, and helpless to do anything about it. Sure he was attractive enough, and funny in some instances, and even charming at rare moments. But he was also cocky, brazen and all around flirty, all of which she hadn't ever been fond of. However, he seemed to be able to pull it off, with a boyish like charm taht she was positive was only possible for Danny. Having not been a boy for quite some time.

It was official, she was slowly but surely, becoming addicted to the man. Everything about him, she wanted to soak up.

His hair, his smile, his cologne, the way he was constantly licking his lips whenever he thought really hard about something. Or the way that he only had a constant nickname for her. Even the way he was always challenging her on everything, she found endearing.

XxXxXxX

Alone in his apartment, Danny had been lying back on his couch for sometime now. Sitting up suddenly, as realization washed over him.

Lindsay was officially his vice.

He wasn't quite sure when it had happened, or even how. All he knew was he couldn't get enough of the woman. And he hadn't even actually _gotten_ her yet.

Often he had the feeling to just be near her, or to hear her voice. She was the one person he could never get tired of seeing all of the time. Lindsay did get irritating at times, but so did everyone else, the only differance was if he had to spend the night of doing nothing with Lindsay, or doing everything with Halle Berry. He would pick Lindsay, hands down.

XxXxXxX

It wasn't long after Lindsay moved to her bed, that she had fallen asleep. And it wasn't long after having fallen asleep, that the ringing of her phone, again awoke her.

Opening her eyes slightly, she smiled involuntarily to herself, at the thought of whom it was calling her so late.

But once she answered, it was the one voice she hadn't ever expected to hear again.

"Lindsay Monroe?" The voice asked, having sounded like it had been frozen in time.

"Yes, who is this?" She asked, determined to sound stronger than she felt.

There was dead silence on the other end of the line, and a dial tone following suit. Signaling Lindsay that the caller had hung up.

Lindsay replaced her own phone in it's place, and was slightly confused at the reaction she had gotten.

She couldn't figure out why she would be calling after all this time. It wasn't as if they were friends, or even acquaints any longer. In fact if you looked at the two of them now, you would never believe that they were the sisters they once had been.

XxXxXxX

It was all Lindsay could do to drag herself out of bed, in the days following the mysterious phone call. Hearing her sister again, was really messing with her head. After everything that had happened in Montana, she hadn't ever wanted to think about it again.

Lindsay had been so tired that she had tried to catch a little nap early one Wednesday morning.

Unfortunately she had slept longer than planned, and ended up being discovered by Danny. Smiling as he passed her desk, he threw a case file down next to her, letting out a nice little crack as the thin cardboard met the wood of her desk, jerking her awake.

Leaving Lindsay dazed and confused, and Danny smiling and amused.

"Little tired there Montana?" He asked, smiling as she threw him a heated glance.

"Nothing gets past you does it Messer?" He smirked at the effortlessness in which her quip was produced.

"Come on Montana humor me."

"Well Danny believe me or not, I do have a life and there are things going on in it."

"Well for me and the sake of my rent getting paid, acn you spread around that it's romance keeping you awake. Cause me and the guys have a little pool going and I've got one-fifty riding on that."

"You are unbelievable, do you know that?"

He smirked at his opportunity, "Many a satisfied lady have been known to tell me this yes."

"Really?" She said, with a look of disgust, "Did you really think I wanted to know anything about--that." She said, after a moment of searching for a word.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he circled his desk, planting himself in his desk chair.

Rolling her eyes she moved her gazed back to the file on her desk. Though she could still clearly see him, and the moment he turned his face back toward.

Danny saw on her face, the look of stress, and fatigue. Letting, if only for a moment, himself feel bad that he had mocked her. He watched her sigh, and rub her eyes, closing them and letting her head sag a moment, as she rubbed the back of her neck next.

"Alright Montana--" He said after a beat, once more rising from his desk, "No fighting me on this, I want you to go home and sleep. I'll cover for you today--and today only." He added after a moment of thought.

"Danny I don't want you too have to--"

"What did I just say about fighting me?"

"Danny--"

"Montana."

After a mini stare down, Lindsay rose from her desk, "Fine." She said bitterly, turning from him, add "But I don't have to like it." For good measure.

Though in truth, Lindsay couldn't wait to get out of that building. Thinking to herself that it was probably one of the nicest things Danny had ever done for her, and how she would have to repay him one day.

XxXxXxX

The phone rang out in the darkness of Lindsay's home, as she rolled over to answer. Slowly trying to get her eyes to focus on the name of the person calling. But decidedly gave up after a moment of unsuccessful trying.

"Hello?" She asked, slowly sounding out each syllable, giving her brain enough time to find the right ones, and communicate them to her mouth.

"Lindsay Monroe?"

"Yes." She said, sitting up as the fog cleared from her eyes and mind as her heart raced faster.

"I don't know if you know who this is or not--"

"I do." She said curtly, cutting her sister off."

"And I see you remember why we aren't talking."

Lindsay unconsciously cracked a smile, her sister always had a way of ruining the most serious of moments.

"Listen Lindsay, I want to tell you, even if mom doesn't."

Lindsay nodded, then realizing that her sister couldn't actually see her, and replied with a mumbled, "Okay."

"Dad's sick Lindsay. Really sick, worse then ever, and all he keeps saying is how he wants to see you and make things right again."

"Dad wants to see me?" Lindsay asked, not really believing the voice on the phone.

"Yeah, he said that their are so many things he needs to tell you."

"So what am I supposed to do about that?"

"Well maybe you could start by coming down here and listening to what the man has to say. He feels really bad about the way you guys left things--" She let her voice trail off.

"I don't know if I can get off work."

"Come on Linds, just tell them that it;s a family emergency, don't they have some kind of policy for that?"

"I'll look into it, but I'm not making any promises."

The tone of hatred in Lindsay's voice, hit her sister like a ton of bricks, and she recognized it as the same one she had used the day that Lindsay left.

"Okay. I understand, just really try Lindsay for me?"

"Yea sure whatever."

"Uh, thanks I guess--"

"No problem."

"Well goodnight Lindsay."

"Night."

"I love you."

It was short, and quick. So much so that Lindsay was sure that she had to have imagined it.

But the way she hung right up, before Lindsay could say anything more, made her think that her sister had actually said it.

Finally placing the phone down, she sat back in her bed. Thinking about Montana, and all the time she had spent there.

The day that she parents adopted her older brothers, Mark and Justin. The days that her younger siblings Luke, and Syler were born. Her first kiss, out in front of her Jr. High. Simon Daybreak. Everything her mind had repressed, leading up to her Senior Prom. The one night that would haunt her every dream.


	14. Chapter 14

Welcome back! I trust you all had lovely holidays. I'm super stoked that I am back. I must give a special thanks to my sister for helping me with this one. I'm glad you all thought it was 'interesting'. Not really sure if that's goo or bad, but it's whatever.

atizzyfan93yes the senior prom was also the night that her friends were killed. Sorry if anyone else was confused, I tried to make it clear.

Peace

* * *

Lindsay drudged into work the next morning, and the sudden change in her normal cheery mood, was not lost on her co-workers, Danny included.

She couldn't help but think of exactly what might happen if she were to return to Montana, she didn't expect it to go like it did in the movies, where she would show up and then everything just like that would be forgiven.

Walking to the locker room, she was trying to think of some way out of her current predicament, but ran into Danny on her way, literally.

"Wow Montana, where's the fire?" He said, smiling at his own joke.

"No where Danny, I'm just in a hurry to get to the locker room." She said trying to get past him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Noticing the strain in her voice, concern washed over him.

"Nothing Danny I need to--"

"Nuh uh Montana, don't give me that, something not right. What is it?"

"Nothing Messer, get out of my face!" She said, her voice rising as she did.

Reluctantly he stepped out of the way, as she made her attempt to get past him once more. Lindsay felt bad for yelling at him, and even thought about turning around and appoligizing to him right then. But by the time she had reached the locker room door, and turned to say something, he was already gone from the corridor.

XxXxXxX

Adam Ross walked into the locker room, still trying to cover up the orange juice spill located in the groin of his jeans.

It wasn't Adam's fault entirely, after all Kindle had been eating that orange rather seductively, which he was pretty sure had been impossible until that moment.

He opened the door slowly, before sprinting to his own locker, and grabbing the spare jeans there.

After changing in a bathroom stall, which is surprisingly more difficult than you would imagine it to be. He rounded a row of lockers, almost tripping over a weeping Lindsay in the process. Taking a few steps back, he was immediately taken back to his childhood. Watching his mother doubled over crying in pain, with his drunken father standing over her.

To this day, he hadn't been able to see a woman cry without wanting to punch his father.

"Lindsay are you okay?"

"No." She said looking down at her hands, an playing with the chipping nail polish there.

He could tell she was holding back tears for his sake, but it was obviously hurting her more to keep them in, then to just let it flow.

"Well, I'll go get Danny, he'll know--"

"No!" She shouted, keeping him half risen from his seat. Lindsay having stood to her feet as well, slumped unto one of the wooden benches there. "I can't deal with anyone right now."

"Okay, I'll just leave--"

"No, I don't want to be alone." She said, changing her mind once more.

Moving slowly down to the bench, he crossed a leg, and sat to face her, "Alright," He said carefully, "I won't go get Danny, and I won't leave. Do--do you want to tell me what's going on?"

"'Want' is a very subjective term Adam." She said looking up at him.

"Well do you think that you should?" He rephrased.

"Maybe. I'm just really stressed out right now, and I'm having a hard time deciding what to do about it, I just feel like I'm in way over my head right now." She said with a sigh.

"Come on Linds, relax and be happy."

The words rang in her ear like church bells."What did you say?" She asked looking more puzzled, still unsure whether she had heard him correctly or not.

"Relax and be happy?" He said slowly, making sure he had ample room to dodge a flying shoes should one be sent his direction.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Um, I don't know. It just kind of came to me, why?" He asked curiosity showing in his tone.

"One of my best friends used to say that to me all the time." She said smiling at the memory.

"Really? Where are they now?"

The smile disappeared from her face, "Bozeman County Cemetery." She said, receiving a small 'O' from Adam, "Along with my other two best friends."

He looked down at his hands, not really sure what to say. Comfort had never been his strong point.

Lindsay was crying again, and softly saying something.

"When I was eighteen, my three best friends were killed right in front of my eyes." Adam sat too stunned to do anything.

But he allowed her to continue venting.

"I don't even know why we were friends really, we couldn't have been more different. Aurora was the artistic one. She loved to draw, and to paint, and taking pictures and she was amazing at all of them. She had even gotten in to the New York Institute of Photography. Emma was a hippie always trying to get us to relax about everything, and not think too far beyond tomorrow.. Then there was Amber. She was the one who brought us all together. She had her own style, her own language and this attitude about her that just made her more noticeable."

He smiled at the mental image of the foursome, back in Montana, sitting in the middle of a wheat field.

"I still remember hear the gunshots go off, and how helpless I felt about it. I had been shot in the shoulder and was just lying there on the floor hearing all of them scream, and there was nothing I could do."

It broke Adam's heart to see her this way, she had always seemed so strong, but now it felt like all he had to do was breathe wrong and she might crumble to pieces to small to put back together.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, that she was still trying to withhold. "I still remember the looks on all those peoples faces, the faces of their parents, all looking at me, and accusing me. Like I had done something wrong by living."

The tears were now starting to flow, her voice barely above a whisper, but somehow Lindsay forced herself to keep talking, she wasn't quite sure why.

"They turned that town upside down looking for him, but we went home without answers. After that day, my parents started talking to me less and less, soon my brothers had a hard time looking at me, and in the end even my sister turned on me too."

Adam was having a hard time not just pulling her into an embrace, not really knowing her that well, but damn if he didn't want to.

"Before long I started to move on, I had too. As much as I didn't want to look back everyone else in my town seemed to be stuck in that moment. So one day, I just packed up my stuff, and left. I went to Washington D.C, and went to the academy there, once I graduated I spent three years working there. Before I got this job offer. Just like back in Montana I left everything behind, again." She said letting one more tear run.

Adam couldn't eve look at her anymore. Seeing her cry was more would be enough to drive him to do something stupid. But mostly he looked away because he could stand to see her like that, so vulnerable and weak.

"Then I met Danny." She smiled involuntarily at the thought.

"He has quite the reputation Messer, all the talk about how the infamous Danny Messer, the ahrd ass New Yorker, with the whole bad boy complex. Who once I met him, wouldn't give me the time of day. And no matter how many times I protest, refuses to stop calling me Montana. Now despite my best efforts not, to I think that I may be falling for my partner."

"Wow." Was all Adam, could think to say at the moment.

She nodded, "And I just don't know what to do."

"Are you hungry?" Adam asked after a moment of silence.

"Starving." Lindsay replied laughing at the sudden change in subject.

He nodded standing from his cross legged position, and moving his head toward the door, to show he meant for Lindsay to follow himi. An the two left smiling as they hit the streets.


	15. Chapter 15

Special thanks to atizzyfan93 I wasn't sure how to start out this chapter. And her review gave me a good starting point. So keep em' coming. I'm thinking of keeping Kindle around a little longer, but not sure how long. Tell me what you think.

Thanks again.

Peace

* * *

Danny wasn't sure when he had decided that he didn't want to just leave Lindsay be. But he did know that he was going to find out what was going on, that was until he watched the door to the locker room open. A flushed Lindsay emerging, with an out of sorts Adam following closely behind. He could only assume the worst, and assume he did. Though for a fleeting moment he did feel kind of stupid for being jealous, because he really had to right to be. Considering he hadn't even summed up the courage to tell her how he felt much less, make some kind of a move.

Still there weren't enough hurtful words in the world to describe the feeling Danny got as he stood watching the two walk away. The feeling of his heart dropping from his chest to his feet, and left there to bleed without consolation. Was one of such unbearable hurt, that he slumped against the wall behind him.

XxXxXxX

"Thanks again for lunch Adam." Lindsay said, entering the building.

"No problem, and remember, if you need it. I'm always here." He said, smiling over at her.

It had been roughly two weeks since their little chat in the locker room, and over that time Lindsay and Adam had grown closer. But as friends, nothing more, Lindsay still, not so secretly, had the hots for Danny.

Danny had also picked up on the growing relationship, along with Kindle, a newer edition to the team, whom Adam had a certain eye for.

"Hey Danny." Lindsay said brightly, seeing him, as she entered their office space.

"Hey Montana." He said, picking up on her cheeky mood.

She sat at her desk and faithfully started working, "What? No 'that's not my name'? Or, 'if you don't stop I will have to use force'? What gives Montana?"

"Nothing." She said throwing a glance and a smile at him.

"Yeah well it's not nothing, no one goes from barely getting out of bed, to can't go to bed in as little time as you have." He said, looking curiously over at her.

After a moment of silence, she shook her head in mock surrender, "Fine. Adam and I have been hanging out lately, and--well I don't know he just has a way of making me feel better." She hadn't actually meant it the way that it had sounded.

But that was sure the way that he took it, as he felt his heart sink once more, he turned slinking out of the office.

She looked back up from her paper work after a silent beat from Danny, to watch his hunched figure stalk from the room. Concerned with this action, she stood to follow him.

Not being able to locate him right away, she found herself poking her head, inside Adam's lab.

"Hey, have you seen Danny lately?"

"Like how lately?" He answered with another question, looking up form the evidence bag in front of him.

"Like within the last five minutes."

After a moment of thought he nodded, "Yeah, he went that way, I think," He said, pointing to the elevators to his back, "He went by maybe two minutes ago."

"Alright thanks." She said smiling.

"Sure thing, I'll keep an eye out for him, so let me know if you find him." She gave him a thumbs up and kept walking.

He looked down, and resumed his work, when he got the overwhelming feeling that he was being watched. Looking up once more, he dropped his evidence bag when he saw Kindle standing before him.

"Hey." He said, sheepishly standing back up and replacing the evidence bag on the counter.

"Hi, was that Lindsay?" She asked, pointing in the vicinity of the elevators.

"Yeah, she was looking for Danny, why?"

"Nothing, I just have some earrings of hers, and I figured if you knew where she was going I could catch her."

"Ah, I don't know where she was going, but I can give then too her for you." He said, trying to focus on his work.

"Really?"

"Yeah, we're going to see a movie tonight."

"Adam can I ask you something?"

"You just did, but I suppose that you can ask me something else if you would like." He said, smiling at his own joke.

"Are you and Lindsay seeing each other?"

The smile fell from his face, replacing it with complete horror.

"Are you crazy!? Do you have any idea what Danny would do to me if I entertained the idea of asking Lindsay out? More importantly, do you have any idea what Lindsay would do to me I entertained the thought of asking her out?"

"Kindle laughed, "No I don't, enlighten me."

"That's not funny," He said dropping his shoulder, "Lindsay and I are just friends."

"Okay--It's fine if you are--it's also fine if you're more--"

"Just friends!"

"I believe you--"

They stood a moment longer, "No you don't." Adam said.

"You're right I don't."

"Fine, you don't believe me, then you come to the movie night tonight and see for yourself."

Kindle looked up at him, "No I shouldn't I don't want to be a third wheel."

"You won't be a third wheel--"

"Adam, going out in groups of three always leaves a third wheel."

"Alright, bring a guy friend of yours, we'll all go out to dinner afterward and everything."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, Me and him can talk about guy stuff, and you and Lindsay can talk about--whatever it is girls talk about." He said, smiling at the thought.

"You're sure Lindsay will be okay with it?"

"Yeah. she'll be totally cool." Adam assured her, even though he truly had no idea.

"Okay, I'll see you at the end of shift and we'll talk times."

"It's a date." She said turning to walk away.

Adam said nothing as he stomach did back-flips at the thought of her refering to their night as a 'date'.

* * *

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_**READ AND REVIEW!**_

_**THANKS!  
**_


	16. Chapter 16

WooHoo! atizzyfan93! You are my new favorite. I was going in a completely different direction with this chapter. But why when you give me the ingenious plan of Kindle bringing Danny! I truly do love it! So needless to say, a special thanks to you atizzyfan93, keep the goodness coming. You freakin rule. To everyone else, I'm still loving all of your reviews, I'm super excited that you guys are liking it so much, and have stuck with me thus far. So for that, I thank you as well.

Let the good times roll.

Peace

* * *

It was about three or four hours later that Adam and Lindsay were standing outside of the movie theater making small talk until Kindle and her date arrived. Adam was glad that Lindsay had been cool with their change of plans.

It was then that Adam's cell began to ring. "Hello?"

"Hey, we're here where are you guys?" Kindle asked, laughing at some that her friend had said.

"We're right out front by the ticket booth, you can't miss us." He replied.

"Aw, Adam. I couldn't miss you anywhere." Kindle said, playfully.

He laughed, "Thank you Kindle."

"You are very welcome, we'll be right there" She said handing uop the phone.

Just as Adam had placed his phone back in his pocket, Kindle came into view.

It only took a moment for Adam to realize who Kindle was walking next too. Not Lindsay though, she would know that relaxed, swagger of his anywhere.

And yet when they neared, she still felt the need to say, "Danny?"

"Hey Montana, Adam." He nodded, to him as the approached them.

"Hi Danny." Adam said through gritted teeth, before turning his attention back to Kindle.

Lindsay stood dumbfounded, opening and closing her mouth like a gaping fish.

Until Danny felt the need to intervene, "I believe the words you are looking for, are 'Hello handsome." He said, smirking at her.

"Ha, ha very funny." She said, laughing softly herself.

"We should probably get inside before the movie starts." Adam said, giving his watch a glance.

Kindle nodded and followed after Adam, with Lindsay and Danny on their heels.

XxXxXxX

Inside, Adam walked right in a found them four seats right in a row, unfortunately it was Lindsay's night to pick the movie, so they were going to be watching a hick flick, but there was really nothing he could do about it.

He sat down on the far right seat, with Kindle right behind him, closely followed by Lindsay and then Danny.

Danny being on the end, took it upon himself to get the snacks, and asked if anyone wanted something from the concession stand, while he was going anyway. Everyone answering him at5 the same time, it soon became clear that he wasn't going to be able to carry all of this by himself. Lindsay being the next available person, stood to go and help Danny with the food.

Adam watched the two walk away together, and felt his heart race that was was alone with Kindle outside of their work environment.

"So what movie are we seeing?" She asked, having been laughing with Lindsay as the guys bought the tickets.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered that she was talking to him.

"What?" He asked, looking over at her.

"The movie," She said, pointing to the screen, "What is it?"

"New In Town," He replied sheepishly, "It's Lindsay's turn to pick the movie."

She smiled "Of course."

XxXxXxX

Outside the theater Danny and Lindsay stood in line for the concessions, and he watched as another person opened the door and Lindsay shivered again.

"Come one Montana, "He whined, "It's not even that cold outside."

"It's the middle of August," She spat through chattering teeth, "Do you have any idea what it feels like in the west in August?"

"Can't say that I do," He said, "But I'm beginning to get an idea." As she shivered again.

Sighing he slid his coast from his shoulders and holding it out to her, "No then you'll be cold too." She said, turning away from his.

"Please Montana," He scoffed, "I grew up here. Born, bred and cockroach fed remember?" He said, referring to an earlier conversation.

She smiled at his attempt but still remained firm.

"Look either, take this coat and warm your ass, or freeze it off without it,m because I'm not going to offer again" He replied sternly, knowing full well that he would later slid it off with out protest or begrudge if she were to ask for it.

Turning around she looked up at him, and then at his coat, and once more at him and back at the coat, before silently taking it from him, and sliding it over her shoulders, holding in a sigh that it was still warm.

"See was that so hard?" He asked sarcastically.

"Yes as a matter a fact, it was the hardest thing I've ever done. I don't think I'll ever fully recover." She replied just as sarcastically.

He smiled, and stepped forward as it was there turn to order.

XxXxXxX

Walking back inside, Danny and Lindsay returned to their row and distributed the food amongst the four.

With Lindsay continually reaching out to Danny for the food, their fingers _accidentally_ touching.

"Thank you Danny, thank you Lindsay." Adam and Kindle chorused.

Smiling they sat dwon as the lights dimmed and the previews began.


	17. Chapter 17

A little bit longer, but I figured I owed it to you guys, cause I haven't updated in a while. This capter kinda came to me quick, and I didin't to a lot of editng, so I'm sorry if it's not the greatest. But I hope you like it just the same.

Thank you and goodnight!

* * *

Lindsay had thanked Adam for the movie, and dropping her off after saying good bye to Danny and Kindle, and was walking into her apartment just in time to hear the last ring of her phone, before the answering machine picked up the call. She walked slowly waiting to hear her own voice come from the small component.

This being what she heard.

"_Hey Lindsay, it's Syler, your sister...um I don't know why I added that. Right, well the reason I'm calling. Dad's gotten worse Linds, a lot worse, and he still really wants to see you, and I hadn't heard from you after the other night. So I thought I would call, and remind you. Or maybe, give you some directions or something so call me back."_

In the back of Lindsay's mind she heard her sister give a phone number, and disconnect the call, but she was too busy moving towards her machine and deleting the message.

Thinking to herself about all of the reasons she had left Montana, and trying to convince herself that ignoring her sister wasn't wrong.

But a little voice still begged to differ.

_She's your sister, it doesn't matter if you're mad at her. He's you father, and he needs you. Go to Montana._

But instead of the clouds opening up, and Lindsay running to the airport to be on the first plane back to Montana. A wave of exhaustion hit her, and all she wanted to do at that moment was crawl into her bed and sleep for as long as possible, an that's just what she ended up doing.

XxXxXxX

Upon waking the next morning, Lindsay crawled out of bed, and threw on some clothes.

Smiling at the memory of the time she had, had the previous night. Although it had been a little awkward at first, she had ended up having nothing shy of a great night out.

She was walking into work feeling pretty good about life and everything in it, that was until she laid eyes upon who was standing at the front desk. Lindsay watched as the secretary pointed to her, and the woman standing at the desk turned, and Lindsay laid eyes upon her sister. For the first time since she was eighteen years old.

Completely speechless, Lindsay watched helplessly as her sister approached her, holding her hands out, as if to defend herself, if Lindsay were to go off as she got closer.

"Listen Lindsay, I know this is probably a surprise, but I thought if you could just hear me out, but then you wouldn't return my calls, and I wasn't even sure you were listening to them so I..."

"So what? You just came to New York, cause I was avoiding your calls?" Lindsay said in the lowest vice she could maintain, which coincidentally wasn't that low.

"I know you're mad."

"No! I really don't think that you do." Lindsay said, bringing back the shrill straight tone.

"Dad needs you Lindsay, Mark needs you, Luke needs you, Justin needs you, and whether or not she wants to admit it, Mom needs you too."

"And what about you?" Lindsay asked cautiously.

"Well I came all the way to New York, I must need something, and it's not the pizza, which I think I will have some of while I here." Syler said, placing her slender hands on her hips.

Lindsay smirked the way that she had seen Danny do so many times before, "I missed you Sy." She stated.

Syler raised her eyebrows in surprised at the comment, she had been expecting a lot of things, but that had not been it.

"I...I missed you too." She said a smile gracing her features.

"Listen, I have to work, but here is a key to my place, and here is the address." She said, pulling a pen out of nowhere, and writing down the address on the palm of her sister's hand.

"Go there and wit for me to get home, and I'll get there as soon as possible."

Syler nodded, and took the key from her sister's outstretched hand, "Alright." She said walking outside.

Lindsay watched her leave, and almost ran to the elevator to begin a day of work she would barely remember.

Which is precisely the reason she ended up in the situation that she did.

Because on the way out of the building Lindsay was stopped.

"Hey Lindsay can you wait a sec?" Casey hollered from behind her, Lindsay was about to leave but decided to stay one more moment, to hear what he wanted.

So she turned back to him replying, "I can, if you can talk fast."

"No problem." He said apparently having aimed for Danny's boyishly imp smirk, and missed it by a light year.

"Alright." She said, paying more attention to all of the seconds that were ticking off from the clock behind him than to what was actually being said.

"Well I know it's kinda sudden, but I think we have real chemistry together, and I would like for you to accompany me to dinner this Saturday." He said smoothly,and if she had been listening, she would have been sent to the hills so fast he wouldn't have seen it coming.

"Yeah sure why not." She said quickly, only once glancing to actually look at him.

"Really?" He asked, quite surprised, he had thought he had seen something between Lindsay and Messer before, but maybe not.

"Yep sure, I'll talk more about this later, I really have to go." She said smiling at him.

"Good-bye Lindsay." He said, a sickeningly suave smile plastered to his features.

Casey walked slowly off to the locker room, somewhat disappointed that Danny hadn't been in the room, because this would have been the opportunity to rub it in his face. Instead he just walked offed, after pulling on his jacket, smiling in spite of himself.

XxXxXxX

Syler Monroe's first day in New York City was spent doing nothing in her sister's apartment.

_What a way to start the trip._

She thought she heard the knob beginning to turn, and she glanced from the TV, to see Lindsay walking in the front door, looking around for all signs of a party.

"Hey." She called from her seat, and Lindsay turned towards the voice.

"Hi," She said putting her things down, "How was your day?"

"Fine...okay...pretty boring, you have nothing to do in your apartment." Syler said finally.

"I have lots of things to do in my apartment." Lindsay said defensively.

"Well your computer has password, your books are all boring, and I tried to watch _The Forty-Year-Old Virgin_on paper-view this morning, and do you know what I found out? You have a parental lock on your television, you know for those rugrats which you don't have. You don't have any rugrats do you?" She said, explaining her day, or lack there of.

"No." She siad, as she sat down, "But what I really want to do right now is talk."

"Alright, but after we get some food. I haven't eaten anything since I got off the plane this morning." Syelr whined grabbing her stomach.

"What do you mean? There's food here/"

"Correction. There _was_ food here, I checked your fridge nothing but soy milk, and Lima beans in there sis. So I figured you would be home soon, and as it turns out I was right, and now I'm going to let you take me to dinner."

Maybe it was hearing about food, or going somewhere with someone. But it was at that moment, everything that Casey had said, flashed back at Lindsay.

"Oh no." She half whispered, more to herself than to Syler.

But still she asked, "What?"

"I agreed to go out with Casey."

"Way to go Linds." Syler said smiling.

"No, you don't understand, I don't like Casey."

"Oh, then why did you say you would go out with him?"

"Because I wasn't listening to what he was saying." Lindsay said, placing her head in her hands, and sighed loudly.

"Then how do you know you're going out with him?" Syler asked, utterly confused.

"Becasue I was listening, but not really."

"Okay sure, lets go with that." She said laughing.

"Come on, it;s not funny, this is really bad." Lindsay said, trying to find a way out.

"Right I'm sorry." Syler said, trying to contain her laughter.

"Well you really good at lying. Help me get out of this."

"Fine, but then we talk about Montana."

"Yes." Lindsay said, determined.

"Okay, when is your date?"

After a moment of thought, "Saturday."

"Alright, well you could tell him you have to work, don't you guys sometimes work on Saturdays?"

Lindsay nodded, "Yes, but I'm scheduled to work with Casey all week, he would be called to the same scene."

"Okay so work is out of the question..."

"I could be sick."

"Eh, I tried that once then he just insisted that he come over and take care of me."

Lindsay nodded, and sat back on her couch.

"What about a date?"

"No, Sy I don't want to go out with this guy even once."

"No, I mean you have a different date, with somebody else."

"No I don't."

Lowering her head for a moment, Syler sighed, "Then you're gonna have to make one."

"Oh you mean like make one so I can have an excuse not to go out with Casey?"

"Exactly, now all you need is the datie."

"The what?"

"It's an analogy Lindsay, you're the dater you need a datie."

"Alright, who should it be?"

Sitting down, Syler thought for a moment, "Well it should be some one you know really well, and someone who could make this Casey guy back off. Someone who would tell Casey that you guys are indeed your date, and that you have been seeign each other for a while now," As she continued to explain, her eyes landed on a picture frame on Lindsay's end table, "How about him?"

"Him, who?" Lindsay asked, looking over her sister's shoulder.

"Him, him." She said again, picking up the frame, and pointing it the man she saw.

"Oh no, it can' be him." Lindsay said, fearing Syler would ask why.

And there it was "Why?"

"Just because, he and I are just friends, and it would be too weird. We could never pass as a couple, brother and sister maybe, but not a couple."

"Well you guys look like a couple here."

She was right of course, it was a picture of the whole team, and it had been taken about two months after Lindsay had gotten to New York. They were at Sullivan's, celebrating the win of their case, and the fact that Lindsay had taken down the suspect before Mac even rounded the corner. When Don suggested that they remember the moment forever, and Stella had a camera at the time, and asked one of the guys at the bar to snap a picture. Danny had been sitting across from her so he stood and walked to the other side of the table as Mac and Don had.

The line up was Stella all the way on the right, with Don standing protectively behind her, the Payton facing away from Don, tucked up under Mac's arm who was standing next to her. Then it was Danny and Lindsay, it was kind of crowded that night, so She and Danny were tucked up against each other, rather snugly, but each of the three couples looked comfortable.

Moving next ot her sister, she lowered her head and shook it, "No."

"But he's hot, and I'm sure by your reaction to remembering this Casey guy, he would send him running for cover, and if you guys are as tight as you claim to be, I'm sure he would have no problem doing this for you."

"I don't know Sy, it's kind of risky, I'm Casey has seen us together before, and I don't think it would be a good idea, Don says the guy kind of has a big mouth, and he could go telling everybody."

"Which you're not," Syler chimed, "And if you guys are really more like brother and sister, then no one would believe this guy anyway."

"I guess I could give it a shot, and see what he says." Lindsay said skeptically.

"Of course you will." She said smiling.

"Alright, I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"That's my girl, what's this guys name anyway?"

"What's, who's guys name?" Lindsay asked, standing to go and get herself some water.

"Your offical unoffical boyfriend."

"Does that matter?"

"Well yeah, I mean if you're going to be seeing him, I have to check him out first."

"But I'm not going ot be seeing him."

Just humor me." She said deadpanned.

"No I think you have enough humor for everyone."

"Fine, but I don't just want to call him that guy, I have t call him something."

"Call him whatever you want." She said, preoccupied with her quest to fill her stomach.

"Alright, I think I'mm call him Blue Eyes."

Lindsay turned back to her sister, "Why would you call him that?"

"Dude Sinatra, need I say more. Besides it's better than 'Oh God Please Take Me Now!' Why? Does it bother you?"

"No, it doesn't bother me, I just think that you should call him something else, since yo don't know him." Lindsay said, not wanting to be reminded of Danny, every time she listened to Frank, which happened to be a lot.

"Well I could call him by his given name, if someone who happened to know it would simply tell me." Syler said, adding emphasis to every word.

"Are you hungry, cause I'm starved.

"Fine keep your hot little secret, but I'll have you know, that I still have my ways, and I will find out his name sooner or later."

"Right, now about the food."

"I vote Chinese."

"And I agree."

"Now, about Montana."

* * *

**_READ AND REVIEW!!!_**


	18. Chapter 18

Sorry it took me so long, I truly am. But things have been so crazy lately, and now that it's Spring Break, I've been pumping out all the creative juices I have. Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The next morning Lindsay and Syler had come up with a plan, that was absolutely fool proof, that is if everything had gone the way he had planned. So maybe not as fool proof as they wished.

Syler had helped her get out of her plans with Casey, so Lindsay had broken down and agreed to go to Montana.

Walking into the NYPD Lindsay headed straight for her office, where she had asked Danny to meet her this morning, because this is the kind of thing you ask someone to do in person.

"Hey Montana."

"Danny hey," She said smiling at him.

"Okay, what's going on?" He asked skeptically.

"What do you mean?"

He smirked, "You smiling you're 'please do this one teensy weensy thing for me smile' which normally turns out to be neither teensy or weensy."

"Alright I need your help."

"I gathered, with what?"

"Well see I was in a hurry to leave yesterday, and on my way out Casey stopped me," Danny was disliking this story already, "And he kind of asked me out, and there is a good chance I had said yes on account of how preoccupied I had been on leaving."

"What!" Danny said, straightening his posture, and leaning in closer, "You agreed to go out with Casey?"

"Like I said, I wasn't paying close attention to what I was saying, and when I got home my sister helped me think of a way out of it, and that's where you come in."

"Your sisters in town, why didn't you say anything? Wait, why didn't you tell me you had a sister?"

"Danny stay focused, can you help me or not?"

"Sure what can I do." At that point, Danny was convinced that he would do anything, to keep Lindsay was going out with that creep, even if he had to shoot the man himself.

"Okay, I need you to tell Casey that yo and I already have plans for this Saturday."

Danny stood shell shocked, trying to determine if this was a dream or not, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

"Please tell Casey that you and I are seeing each other."

"Oh--um sure, okay." He said slowly.

"If you don't want to, I can get Flack or Hawkes to do it--."

"No," It took Danny a moment, to realize how desperate he had just sounded, but he covered it up, "I mean you and Hawkes are too good a friends, and Flake has a girlfriend."

"He does?"

"Yeah sure," He lied, "It's nothing serious, but ti's something none the less. But you won't have to because I would be happy to tell Casey that you and I are dating."

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much Danny." She said, pulling him into a hug.

It took him a moment to react, but when he did, she almost melted into his arms, for some reason she always felt safe in his embrace.

A throat being cleared brought the two apart, "Hey Lindsay, Messer." Casey said.

She looked back at Danny, and he nodded, "Hi Micheal." Lindsay said taking a step toward Danny.

"Yeah I just came by to check up on our plans."

"Yes, I have been meaning to find you, so we could talk about those."

"Really? Do they not work for you, because we could reschedule our date." He said, louder than he needed to and looking pointedly at Danny.

But Danny just smirked, and stepped forward, "I got this babe." He said, pulling her gently toward him.

Lindsay realized what he was doing, and used the excuse of charter to snuggle closer to his side.

"Well see, Lindsay was a little preoccupied when you last spoke, and wasn't exactly paying attention to what you had been saying, when the offer of your company this Saturday was offered. When she realized that she had happened to say yes, she came to me, and it turns out that Lindsay was already booked for Saturday.

"Really? What is she doing?"

"Well she and I already had plans." Danny said, smiling wider at the look on Casey's face.

"Oh, I didn't realize-- I mean you don't ever--at a scene--"

"Well we like to keep it discrete, and out of the work place."

"I see," Casey said slowly, "Well I'll just leave you two alone then, sorry I misjudged the situation."

Watching him walk away, neither one moved from their 'couple' position, "Wow, he almost seemed hurt." Danny said, when the detective was out of sight.

"Don't be mean, you just broke the mans pride." She said, quite enjoying the minimal space between them.

"Yes, but I would have done that anyway." He said, smirking when she pushed him lightly.

Finally stepping away from one another, Lindsay turned to him, "Thank you again Danny, I really appreciate you doing this for me."

"No problem, I'm happy to help." He said, moving to sit.

"Danny, Lindsay, kits lets go." Flack said, walking briskly by their office, yet making sure they had heard him.

XxXxXxX

Arriving at the scene Danny and Lindsay went straight to work, both ignoring Casey, with much difficulty, considering he was everywhere.

"Danny can you come look at this?"

Walking over, he bent down giving Lindsay a fine view of what lays below his spine, they were working on a robbery where the clerk had tried to be a hero and ended up getting himself shot in the process.

There was glass everywhere, but there was one that stood out from the rest. Only looking at it for about five seconds, before a dark shadow was cast over them.

Looking over their shoulders, they stared back at Casey, who was staring at them, as he towered over the two.

"Are you sure you two are seeing each other?"

Lindsay thew a glance at Danny, as they stood.

"Pretty darn, why?"

He looked skeptically between them, as he had done all day, "Because you two don't seem like you would be a couple."

"Well like we said, we are trying to keep it off the radar."

"Yeah, but you guys flirt, kind of, but that's about it. No kisses in the locker room, you don't even talk about plans outside of work--ever."

Danny stepped in, "Why would we tell you we were seeing each other, if we really weren't?"

"I'm not sure--" He said, backing away slowly, before finally turning around.

"You don't think he would figure it out would he?" Lindsay asked, watching him as he walk away.

"Montana," Danny said, sarcastically, "It's Casey, he'll never even some close."

Laughing, she nodded, bending back over to look at the colored glass.

XxXxXxX

Lindsay's car hadn't started as she was going to leave the scene, and Danny tried not to laugh, at Casey's face as he watched Danny help Lindsay into the SUV.

Now they were sitting in his car, outside of her apartment.

"Thanks for the ride Danny." Lindsay said, placing her fingers around the handle.

"No problem, what are friends for?"

"Thai apparently." Not trying to think about how the word 'friends' had stung her.

"Yeah well--" He stopped short, and leaned over more and looking up out the open window, "Lindsay, I think that there's someone in your apartment." He said, reaching for his gun.

But Lindsay looked up, and stopped him, "No, no, no, well I mean, yes there is someone in my apartment, but I know they are there, they're supposed to be there, it's my sister." For some reason, she felt better having him know that it wasn't a man in her apartment.

"Oh, okay, I just saw the light and--"

"Right, I appreciate the concern."

He nodded, and just looked back at his steering wheel in front of him, "Well I'll just see you later then."

"Okay bye."

Inside Syler was jumping for joy, as she watched the car pull away, and ran to the door as she heard her sister coming in, "Okay what was Blue Eyes dropping you off for? I watched you take your own car to work this morning."

"Who?"

"Blue Eyes, I told you I was going to call him that, when you wouldn't tell me his name." She said, recalling their conversation.

"Oh, right. You were serious about that?"

"Of course I was, now about my plan, so tell me. How flawlessly did it go?"

"Pretty good, Casey's having a hard time believe it, but I'm out of our date this Saturday."

"Only pretty good?" She asked with obvious disappointment.

"Well Casey is a little suspicious, but I'm sure he's not a problem."

"Right he's probably just suspicious, because you and Blue Eyes are such _good friends_." She said with a smile.

But Lindsay simply ignored it, "Right, so I'm willing to go back and give the family a chance, and I'm letting you stay here, so I guess that means I'm giving you a chance too huh?"

"Pretty much yeah." She said, walking after her sister.

The two didn't really say to one another, how happy they were that they were back on good terms. But the truth is that they didn't need too.

Turning back around Lindsay made her way to the kitchen, the two siblings spent the rest of the night cooking up a delicious meal, and sharing it together, while enjoying being back in each others company.

Laying in bed later, Lindsay stared up at her ceiling wondering about Danny, and Casey and the twisted little love triangle. She couldn't quite figure it out, why she wouldn't have gone to Flack or someone other than Danny, because anyone from their team would have just at the chance to to that to him. Hell even Stella might have done it, just to see the look on his face.

But of course she couldn't think about that right now, because she needed to talk to Mac about to Montana.

Going home.

* * *

_**READ AND REVIEW!**_


	19. Chapter 19

Alright. Welcome one, welcome all. Hope you haven't missed me too much. But school has been crazy lately, as we near finals, and the studying begins. But here I have your fix. I kind of merged Chapter 19 and the first half of 20, so that it would be longer for you guys. Plus I liked ending it this way instead. Hope you enjoy yourself in my spread this day.

Peace!

* * *

Lindsay walked swiftly into the building, planning on going right to Mac and telling him that she needed time off, but she was happy to work the majority of that day, because she had gotten an evening flight just in case they were crowded.

Again Casey stopped her on her way in, only this time she listened to every single word that left his mouth.

"Hey Linds, can we talk?"

"Sure, but your gonna need to make it quick, I really need to see Mac."

"Oh, don't worry this won't take but a sec, listen since I now know about you and Danny, I was wondering if you would like to go on a double date with me and my girlfriend Marisa?"

_Girlfriend?_ Lindsay thought, but didn't say anything about the fact that only four days prior he had asked Lindsay on a date. "Well I would love to, and I'm sure Danny would to, but unfortunately, I have to go out of town, a family emergency back in Montana, and I've put it off long enough." For once she was glad to be leaving New York.

"Oh, well no worries then, we'll just do it when you get back."

He walked off smiling before Lindsay could protest any further, but she didn't even have time to think about it, because she needed to talk to Mac, and leave, she would deal with Casey when she got back.

She entered his office and sat down, feeling as nervous as she had felt her first day here.

"Hi Lindsay." He said, giving her a half smile.

"Hi, listen Mac, I need to ask you a favor."

"I'm listening." He said, placing his pen down, and looking up at her.

"Well, see the thing is," She said, standing and beginning to pace, "My father's health hasn't been very good lately, and my father and I haven't really been on good terms since I left Montana, and he is getting worse, and he wants me to go down and see him. But I wasn't sure that I could because we have so much work to do here, that I really didn't think I could go--"

"Lindsay, your rambling." He said smiling at her.

"Oh." She said returning to her seat.

"Are you trying to ask me for a vacation?"

"Well it is a family emergency." She said stressing the word 'is'.

"If you need time off all you have to do is ask." He said, as though she should have known that or something.

"Alright," She said, taking a deep breath, "Mac, I need sometime off."

"Alright," He replied, mimicking her deep breathing, "Lindsay, I'm giving you sometime off."

"Really?"

"Didn't we just go through this?" He laughed, "Okay, you can have a week off, but if you need some more, just call me a little in advance, and if you get back before then, don't even think about being able to use up the rest of those days. Because we're gonna be cutting it pretty close, without you here."

"Alright, thank you Mac."

"You're welcome." He replied with a wave of his hand, as he returned to her paperwork.

Lindsay floated out of his office, and she was so happy, she even put off talking to Danny about what Casey had said, and went right back outside heading home.

XxXxXxX

Their plane touched down, and twenty minutes later, Lindsay and Syler were standing on the curb, waiting for a taxi.

"So how does it feel?" Syler asked turning to her sister.

"How does what feel?"

"How does it feel to be home again?"

"It feels like I never left."

XxXxXxX

The cab pulled up outside of the Monroe residence some twenty minutes later, it looked exactly the same as she remembered, she couldn't figure out whether that was a good thing or not. She smiled at her sister, who eagerly ran inside, to inform the others that Lindsay had actually come home with her.

She stood stock still, in the middle of her childhood yard, and took in a deep breath of air. Real, clean, non-toxic air, and for some reason, it smelled different to her, she couldn't put her finger on it, but something was definitely different about the air.

Opening her eyes, she saw the five people standing on the porch, all smiling, Syler smiling the biggest of course.

Lucas was the first one to move, he half ran to her, showing that he wanted nothing more than to hug her at that moment, but wasn't sure how thrilled she was to be home again, as he neared her, she smiled. He looked exactly the same as she remembered him, tall, tan, skinny, and grinning. When he stood before, she couldn't help but embrace her younger brother in a hug.

"Welcome home Monkey." He said, before he could stop the childhood nickname from passing his lips.

She pulled him tighter to her at the sound of it, it was then that she realized, he also smelled the same, a mixture of oil and gasoline.

When they stepped away from each other, Lindsay looked back to find the other four, standing on the lawn, awaiting their own hugs as well, smiling and stepping forward, Lindsay thought to herself, _This week isn't going to be long enough._

XxXxXxX

"_Damn it Lindsay you don't understand what it is that you're doing!"_

"_I understand plenty, what you don't understand is what it's like. To walk around this town, and know that they all blame you!"_

"_Lindsay," Her mother tried to step in and be the voice of reason, "What you're father means is—"_

"_Don't tell me what I mean Delilah. You cannot just leave like this."_

"_I'm an adult I can do whatever I want!"_

"_Lindsay, you're making a mistake."_

"_A mistake? Since when is helping people catch pedophiles, and rapists, and murders a mistake?"_

"_You just need to think your decision through a little more."_

"_I'm done thinking."_

"_We know that you're hurt and that you're angry, but you have such a bright future, don't throw it all away just because of a little bad thing."_

_Justin, Lucas, and Syler had all been sitting at the top of the stairs since their father had sent them there, a half an hour ago. All three cringed, knowing that the words were a mistake._

"_A little bad thing? That's all it is to you? The murder of my three best friends, your best friend's children? That's just a little bad thing?"_

"_Sweetie you know I didn't mean it that way—"_

"_You know what, don't—"_

_She turned away from them, grabbing the bags by the front door, and walking away._

_Syler ran from the top of the stairs, and chased Lindsay through the open door._

"_Lindsay!"_

_Climbing into her car, she started the engine, and put it in reverse._

"_Lindsay wait!"_

_Backing out of their driveway, she pulled away form the home._

"_Lindsay please don't go!"_

Sitting straight up in her bed, she took a deep sigh of relief. Lying back, she shuddered. Thinking that she would see him again tomorrow, for the first time since that night.

XxXxXxX

Lindsay stood in her old bedroom, today was the day she would go and see her father, she still couldn't get over the haunting feeling that things would never be the same, and she was reminded of this feeling constantly, because of the way the air smelled different.

She had been there three days already. The talks had been had, the apologies had been said, the moments had been shared, but for some reason, things still felt distant, and off set from the way that they used to be.

"Lindsay!" Her mother hollered up the stairs.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"Time to go." She said, and she heard the front door open and shut, picking up her purse, and sunglasses, she left the room, looking once more around the small room, that she remembered so vividly. Walking down the stairs, she looked over at her four siblings who would be staying home, under their mothers' insistence, and taking one more breath of the unfamiliar air around her, before heading out into the blistering heat.

They arrived at the hospital, and her mother lead her to her father's room, but she refused to go in herself, as not to distract anyone from what needed to be said. Gathering up her wits she moved inside the small, sickeningly bland room, gazing upon her father, who was watching some game show, while playing with a small cup of pudding.

His attention was diverted, when she stepped into the room, there was a long moment of silence, as the two just looked at each other, before she spoke.

"Hi dad."

His smile was exactly the same, and Lindsay wanted to hug him, until she felt like she made up for all the years she hadn't. "I didn't think you'd come." He said, his voice raspy, and horse, but he seemed all to determined to use it.

Looking down at her feet, she moved her toes together, and then her heels, before snapping them together like a soldier coming to attention, "I didn't think I would either." She admitted for the first time.

He smiled at her honesty, "I wouldn't have blamed you if you didn't," He said quietly, "After the things I said to you, the way I treated you,I wouldn't have been surprised if you never wanted to speak to me again."

"Oh dad." She said, moving to his side.

"I can't imagine how I must have made you feel. I didn't meant to push you away, I just wanted to protect you from getting hurt so badly again."

"It's okay."

"No! It's not," He said suddenly, "It was never okay. I don't know how I could ever ask you to forgive me Lindsay. But I feel I won't ever be at peace unless you at least tell me you do, you don't even have to mean it."

"I do. I forgive you." She said, gripping his frail hand.

He smiled at her, "And I mean it."

Closing his eyes, he let his head fall back against the pillow, seeming to be in a trance of utter bliss.

"I forgive you daddy." She said, feeling like she was twelve years old again.

XxXxXxX

They spent the rest of the week, talking, laughing, and reminiscing, all the things that had happened over the last few years. But finally it got to the point and time, where Lindsay was risking getting fired for staying a second longer, and they dropped her off with many tears goodbye, and many more promises of coming back to see them again very soon.

She landed in New York, some sixteen hours later, after stopping off briefly in Chicago, and again in Baltimore, to get on connecting flights.

Lindsay had called Danny from Baltimore, asking him if he could come and pick her up from the airport.

He refrained from jumping up and down, when he saw her name on the caller ID, but he did do a little happy dance in the middle of the crime lab, enduring the looks he got from people, when Lindsay had said 'there was no other person she would like to see more.'

Glancing around the New York Airport utterly lost, for the second time in a year, Lindsay stood scanning the crowd for the familiar face that was Danny, and finally she laid eyes upon the handsome creature.

Who was also, looking aimlessly through the sea of people, searching for her pretty face.

Finally it seemed as though the stars aligned somewhere in space, and they locked eyes, breaking into smiles, they moved toward each other, Lindsay forgot about her luggage, which she had spotted moments before coming through the carousel, and pushed past all the other people there, because no one else but him mattered.

They reached somewhere in the middle, and embraced each other in a hug, Danny was smiling broader than he could ever remember, as she pulled him tighter to her, when she caught his scent, and it filled the void she had been seeking all week.

Her smile grew as it dawned on her.

Danny Messer smells like home.


	20. Chapter 20

WoHoo! Here's chapter 20 for you. Red and Enjoy. But--READ AND REVIEW TOO!!!!!

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Peace!

* * *

Danny pulled up outside of her apartment, and smiled, "Want me to help you unpack?" He offered, knowing full well that Mac would have his head when he got back to the lab, but he didn't really mind.

"No that's okay Frank can help me." She said, looking over at the smiling older man dressed in a concierge's uniform.

"Right wouldn't want Frank to feel useless." Danny agreed laughing.

"Exactly." She said, smiling, and climbing out of the SUV, and rounding the back of the car, to find Frank there, and unloading her luggage already.

"Welcome Home Ms. Monroe." He said kindly.

She smiled, there was that word again, she was beginning to think that New York could make a good home for her.

XxXxXxX

The next morning it was Monday, and Lindsay pulled into work, and parked her car, leaning over to grab her bag, which was in the passenger seat, she nearly jumped out of her skin, when she turned back to find Stella standing there, and smiling foolishly.

She opened her car door, and was trampled with a breathtaking hug, "Welcome back." She said excitedly.

The two women walked to the elevator, and were headed for Lindsay's office, when Stella's beeper went off, and she had to say goodbye. On the short trip to her office, she saw Mac, Adam, Kindle, Hawkes, Flack, and even Sid, all of whom seemed thoroughly excited to see her back, in one piece.

But no one looked quite as happy as Casey did when he laid eyes upon Lindsay walking toward him, "Lindsay." He called out.

She lifted her head to see the last person, she wanted any contact with at the moment, but being the kind country girl that she is, she smiled, "Hi Casey." Lindsay choked out.

"Glad to see you back safe and sound." He said, with fake relief.

"You and me both." She replied, politely, turning away from him.

"Well now that you're back, we can talk about you, me, Danny and Marisa going on our double date." He said, stopping her from leaving.

"Who?" Lindsay asked pretending to be confused.

"Marisa my girlfriend, I asked you if Danny and yourself would be interested in going on a double date with us, but you were going out of town, and I figured we could do it now, that is as long as you or Danny don't have anymore family emergencies." He said, with a mock smile.

She returned it, backing up to the door of her office, "You know I would love to, but like I said before, I don't know what Danny is doing, and I was so busy in Montana, that I didn't get around to checking with him. So I would have to ask Danny about it before I told you anything."

"Ask me about what?" He asked, stepping out of their office, hearing the end of their conversation.

She turned around, with a shocked face, Danny was never in before seven on a Monday, moving beside him she smile, "Babe, I didn't know you were here." She said, through clenched teeth.

He gave her a curious look at the sound of 'babe', but didn't say anything about it, "Yeah well I came in early today, what was it that you wanted to ask me?" Danny questioned, eyeing Casey suspiciously.

"Well Casey has just invited you and I, on a double date with him and his girlfriend…"

Raising an eyebrow, he didn't let her finish, "Well I don't have anything planned." He said nonchalantly, unaware of what his words meant.

Lindsay refrained from slapping him, but instead pinched his side, where she had slid her arm around his waist.

"Great," Casey said, backing away before they could change their minds, "Marisa will be so excited, we can meet here Saturday around five."

She stepped away from him, "Nothing planned all week."

"Well I didn't know you already told him that you didn't have anything to do either, you're always the one who contradicts everything I say."

"Yeah well you're always asking me to just follow your lead."

"Well we're stuck now, so what do we do?" He questioned.

"I don't know, we used up all of our ideas."

"Yeah we already faked you having a date, and you just postponed this date from happening, because of your thing in Montana. I guess the only thing left to do is…go."

XxXxXxX

Lindsay drudged up her stairs, on Friday evening, her date was with Danny tomorrow night, and she couldn't think of a single thing that she had to wear.

Opening her door, she began to panic, she could hear the TV on, music from the kitchen, and something was either cooking, or smelled really good while burning. Placing a hand, on her sidearm, she took a step closer, when her sister rounded the corner.

"Hey sis."

"Jeez Syler!"

"What?"

"I almost shot you."

"Yeah, but you didn't, so now this conversation is completely irrelevant. What is relevant however, is that I cracked your parental lock, and how completely dumb I feel that I didn't try it before, but I mean seriously, you were always the creative one in the family, you couldn't have come up with something better than the year of your birth?"

"Sy."

"Don't get me wrong it's a great year, but I just entered it in as a goof, I didn't seriously think that was gonna be it."

"Sy."

"Plus there's just so many other things that you could have picked, that would have been way more obvious."

"Syler!"

"What?"

"I have a date with Danny."

"Great," She said, happily, "Whose Danny?"

Lindsay pushed past her, "I need some juice."

It only took Syler a minute to get caught up, before she gasped, and followed her sister, "Blue Eyes, you asked Blue Eyes out, way to go Linds.'

"No, I didn't ask Blue…Danny out, technically Casey asked us both out, we're going on a double date with him and his girlfriend."

"Oh so you're still, pretend dating." Syler said, now understanding her dilemma.

"Yeah, and I don't know how to hint to him that this is real for me over dinner, without Casey or his date noticing."

"Lindsay he's a man, you will never get him to figure out something he doesn't already know." Syler said, choosing to leave alone that Lindsay had just admitted to liking Danny.

"I know, but I was hoping to use your genius to figure out how it could possibly be possible."

"That could be arranged." She said smiling.

"Great," Lindsay replied, when the question finally dawned on her, "Why are you here?"

* * *

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	21. Chapter 21

Well I'm glad that you all picked up, that I would enjoy some reviews. I was afraid that you guys would notice. :) Hope you are all enjoying the story, so I give you Chapter 21!

* * *

Danny showed up at Lindsay's that Friday, feeling more like the girl then the guy. Considering it had taken him half the night deciding what to wear. Lindsay was also taking her sweet time in her outfit selection, and so it fell to Syler to answer the door.

Which Syler didn't have one single problem with.

As she opened the door to him, her smile grew.

"Oh, so much better in person."

He grinned sideways at her.

"You must be Syler."

"The one and only, you're—Danny." She said, after a moment of recollection, and restraint from calling him what she really wanted too. Remembering that this was Lindsay's guy and not hers.

He nodded, the smile seeming to not want to leave his face as moved inside.

"I'm gonna go get Lindsay." She said, opening the door wider, and side stepping the man, to head to Lindsay's room.

Danny nodded, and moved to Lindsay's sofa, taking in the memories of the last time he had been there.

Syler walked into her sister's bedroom, and smacked her sister's arm. "Ow," Lindsay looked at her for an explanation, "What was that for?"

"What is wrong with you? Have you seen this man before. I would have bagged him along time ago, and you should have too." Syler said, with a pointed look at her sister, before moving to see if she could catch a glimpse of him again.

Lindsay's stomach did a quick back flip, front flip, and ended with a twisting summersault, "I work with him."

"And your point is?"

"Behave." Lindsay drawled.

"In your dreams, don't keep that sexy man waiting, get on out there."

Danny was staring at her DVD rack, pointedly trying to avoid looking at _Must Love Dogs._

When she cleared her throat behind him.

Turning back, he nearly had a heart attack.

She cleared her throat, "Sorry if you were waiting long." Lindsay said quietly.

Danny tried to answer, but realized he was going to begin to drool if he didn't say something. So he tried again. Inhaling slowly, much to Syler's delight, he blinked a couple of times and finally said, "You look stunning."

"Thanks," She blushed, "You don't look so bad yourself." She replied, appraising him with her eyes.

He licked his lips and shook his head, utterly speechless.

Syler giggled, "Get a room."

Lindsay turned to her, almost having said something regrettable with Syler in the room. Before turning back to Danny.

"Shall we?" He asked, catching her drift.

She nodded, taking the crook of his elbow, when he offered.

"Alright fine, go on get out of here, I will be sleeping on the couch," She said speaking more to Danny than Lindsay, "So if you come in later, just take it straight to the bedroom…"

"Syler!" Lindsay squeaked, cutting her off, as she pulled Danny out the doorway.

They walked down the hallway, "Sorry about her," Lindsay said, looking over at him, "She wasn't born with a shut up filter." She explained.

Danny laughed, "That's okay, getting all of that out now, will make it easier not to laugh so hard at Casey." He said, as they stepped unto the elevator.

* * *

A little bit shorter, I apologize, you'll just have to wait until next time for their date. Although, depending on how many reviews I get, I could get it too you a little faster :) Remember I don't mind multiple reviews from the same person!

Peace!


	22. Chapter 22

I'm sorry. I truly am, but once this thought occurred to me, I could neither push it from my mind, nor help myself as I sat down to write their date.

Bye-bye.

* * *

They hadn't been awkward around each other since about a month after finding out they would work together. But this car ride, had been the most awkward experience of their lives.

As soon as Lindsay reached the car, and what they were doing sank in, her moth closed up.  
Danny wasn't sure what to say to her, most of his 'dates' were never really planned and if they were, they almost never spent their time in the car talking.

He didn't like being awkward around Lindsay, he wanted her to be the one that he was most comfortable around.

It occurred to Lindsay that she could simply tell Danny how she felt on the way to the restaurant. It wouldn't be that hard, she could just turn to him and say it.

She decided after a moment or to of just looking at him, her words frozen in her throat, that it was easier thought than said.  
"What?" He asked, as she just continued to gape at him.

"Nothing--" She replied after a moment, and turned away from him, looking at him in the reflection of the glass.

Suddenly she was glad that she had been to nervous to tell him. Because is this car ride wasn't awkward before, then it certainly would have been after. Passing a street sign, she realized that they were two blocks from.

He rung his hands across the leather of his steering wheel, turning his tanned skin white, he was gritting his teeth, and taking deep breaths every couple of seconds.

She knew this look, this act that he did, when he was beating around the bush. Although he wasn't saying anything verbally, she could tell that his mind was racing.

"Is there something?" Lindsay asked turning back to face him again, liking this view of him much better than the one from her window.

"Not really--" He said shaking his head.

"Come on Danny, you can tell me."

"Believe me Montana, it's nothing. It's not important."

"Okay, I believe you." She said, her voice oozing with sarcasm.

Throwing her a look out of the corner of his eye, he sighed.

"Alright, I just wanted to say, that I'm glad it's you I'm fake dating."

Squinting at him, she tilted her head slightly, "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean--what would I do if Gena had asked me?"

Laughing, Lindsay looked out her window a moment.

"That's mean."

"But it's true, because if word gets out that we are supposedly dating, won't really have much effect. I mean everybody knew you would eventually sub come to the Messer charm, but--Gena--" His voice trailed off, and Lindsay laughed again at the face he made.

"But you would still do it?"

"Well yeah, I mean I'm a nice guy." He said, smiling at her.

Lindsay looked at her hands, and sudden;y she was very happy as well to be dating Danny.

_Fake dating Lindsay, fake dating._

She silently reminded herself, sighing as she did.

"Something wrong?" He asked, as he pulled into a parking space, Lindsay glanced out her windows to realize that they were there.

"Danny about thi date--"

"Fake date." He reminded, with a smile.

She could tell he was trying to be funny, and she smiled at him for that.

"Yeah, about that. For me this date is--"

"Monroe!"

Lindsay jumped and turned around to find Casey smiling broadly at her. As he moved to open the door.

Politely, she took his hand hand that was offered as she stepped out of the vehicle, finding it sweaty and clamy. A feeling she did not much enjoy.

As they all shook hands, and said introductions, Danny was looking strangely over at Lindsay.

As he opend the door for her, she jumped slightly and she felt him breathe on her neck.

"For you this date is, what?"

Looking up at him, he was watching her, concern etched into his features.

Smiling at that, she turned to find Casey watching them, and Marisa watching just Danny.

"Going to be so much fun!"

She siad happily, not sure how much of what Danny had said, had been heard.

Watching her a moment longer, he could tell that, that was the furtherst thing from what she had been meaning to say.

But they wasn't the time or the place to press this matter, and Danny knew that he could just ask her later on the ride home.

Just thinking about walking her back to her door made this whole thing worth it.


	23. Chapter 23

Alright reviews are awesome...it's official! Because I enjoyed it so much, do it again, do it again, do it again!!! Sorry I made you guys wait, but I felt bad so I posted this one early. Enjoy my little fans, enjoy!

Be sure to read and review!

Peace

* * *

Lindsay wasn't the least bit surprised when all of her doors were opened for her, Danny took her coat at the door, and even pulled her chair out for good measure. But Lindsay had always known deep down inside her, that Daniel Messer knew how to treat a woman.

There was no denying that, but it was making her job of reading him so much harder.

As she heard her sister's word in her mind.

_**"**__**If this guy likes you like I think he does. Then this date he could be trying to hint to you that this is real for him too, but he might not be, so just play it by ear, and don't read too much into things."**_

But it was just too hard with the way he was treating her, to determine if he was just living up to his reputation, or if he was trying to genuinely be a gentleman to her.

Lindsay decided to get her mind off of Danny for the first time since he had picked her up a half an hour ago.

Turning she looked at Marisa, who was sitting across from her.

Marisa was pretty, much prettier than she, Lindsay decided after a moment. Lindsay tried to remember if Danny had looked at her at all that night. Thinking that he must have stared at some point, everyone else was.

Danny was listening impatiently to Casey, and for a split second she wondered if anyone else knew that, that was the face he made when he was annoyed but trying to be polite.

Though now she was aware that Marisa was answering her question, but Lindsay had no recollection of what her question had even been.

But when she was done, Marisa looked back over at Lindsay, and smiled.

"So where did _you_ two meet?"

Now Lindsay assumed that she had asked where they had met.

Lindsay looked at Danny, but he just smiled and waved a hand forward to her, silently telling her to go ahead with whatever their story would be. As she opened her mouth, Casey abruptly turned, to Marisa.

"Work. I already told you that."

The horrified look that Marisa gave him sent Danny sputtering into his water.

Lindsay gave him a slight nudge on the arm, and a look telling him that everyone knew he was laughing.

"I know that, but I kind of want the story—" She said trailing off, and smiling again at Lindsay.

"Well actually Casey," She said smiling over at him, "We didn't meet at work, we met at a bar about a week before we even knew we were partners."

Danny nodded, recalling the night.

"So are you guys in love?"

The two shared an uncomfortable glance. But after that, Danny smirked, "Babe, you want to take this one. You're so much better with the words then I am." As he said this, he moved his right index finger, to stroke the back of her hand and up her pinky.

She could have sworn she knew his effect, but she just smiled, and looked back across the table.

"Well I think it's a little early to be tossing around the word 'love', but I think we are definitely more than just friends at this point."

Danny looked at her strangely when she phrased her sentence this way, and then when she looked back over at him towards the end.

He squinted at her through his glasses, but she just gave him a toothy grin, and used her left hand, which Danny had still been idly playing with, to take a sip of water. Though she did admit that she could feel the loss of his hand, as she finished her drink.

"Yeah well I pretty much knew from the moment I met Michael that he was the one for me, was it like that for you Danny?"

His head snapped up at the sound of his name, he had been trying to imprint the feel of her hand, in case this was his last time to touch it.

Smiling as the question registered, he looked between the two across from him, before looking back at Lindsay, who seemed a little eager for the answer.

"Well—" Gathering his thoughts, "I don't think I knew the first moment I saw her that she was the _'one'_ for me. I mean, she's stunning don't get me wrong—"

Lindsay reddened at his words, casting her head down at her hands, before looking up out of the corner of her eye.

"—I kind of hoped from the moment I met her that something would happen, but then we were partners, and it was awkward, and I was just trying to live my life. Leaving behind these feelings that would pop up at the worst moments, and just taunt me to no end, because I knew I wanted the one thing I couldn't have—"

Danny hadn't realized that somewhere in the middle, he had stopped searching for a story, and telling his own, but he stopped himself before he said something he knew he shouldn't have.

Lindsay now refused to look at him, and was again toying with her water glass, Casey was astonished, and Marisa was leaning on her elbows trying to soak up all of his words.

"But finally, I decided that I didn't care anymore, and just came up to her one day, and told her the truth." He finished simply.

Taking another taste of his water, he took a sigh of relief, talking openly about his feelings for Lindsay, always got his blood going.

"Which was what?"

"Huh?" He asked, looking over at Marisa.

"You said you told her the truth, what was the truth? What did you say?"

"Oh you know I said—um—"

"He whispered that I looked breathtaking, and then asked me out." Lindsay said, smiling up at him.

"Right." Danny agreed, reaching out to her, only this time encasing her hand underneath his.

She watched him do this, with all intention of moving her hand once he had it, but she hadn't anticipated how nice his hand would be, or how quickly she would forget that she didn't want him to have the upper hand, so to speak.

Now Maria was scowling, but no one took notice.

"But of course, the funny thing was that was she was wearing a lab coat at the time, and I hadn't even seen her all day. But I just knew." He said recalling the time that he had actually said that too her.

Only he had just been reading aloud a transcript of text messages that a stalker had sent to his victim. But Danny had never seen her look cuter as she stumbled through the world 'what?' turning it into a ten syllable word.

All of the sudden, Maria turned to Casey, and the noise her hand made, as her hand connected with his face, was loud enough that the whole restaurant seemed to freeze.

Stumbling back with a look of shock, Casey turned to her for an explanation.

"How come you never talk about me like that!" She wailed her voice going up so high Danny was sure some where else in the city, a bat was headed their way.

XxXxXxX

It was later that night, many hours later, that Danny and Lindsay pulled up outside, of her apartment, and Danny climbed out, opening Lindsay's door so that she could exit the vehicle.

Both pretending, as they kept the others hand, that they did this all the time.

"Sorry about Marisa," Casey called drunkenly from within the car, "We've been having some problems, and I thought if I got us out with another couple, things would be okay, but apparently not." He said, remembering her standing from the table, and leaving in a huff, before their food had even arrived.

"That's okay buddy happens to the best of us." Danny said, trying to be reassuring.

He decided to be the good boyfriend, and walk Lindsay to her door. Smiling at Frank as they walked by.

Which he returned, watching them walk away, Danny's arm slung low around Lindsay' waist, as he took her into the elevator. Looking back out at Casey, who was fascinated the way his breathe seemed to make fog on the window.

Danny couldn't help but feel his stomach churn, when he realized what had almost happened the last time they were in the vicinity of her doorway.

Lindsay also remembered, and was now not sure what had been so perplexing about her keys before, because as she searched for her house key, it seemed to only be the second one she tried, when she turned around to face him, "Thanks for dinner Danny."

He just nodded, trying not to make an idiot out of himself.

They stood together a moment longer, before there was movement behind Lindsay.

"Oh hey guys," Syler said, as she opened the door, "I thought you were the pizza guy."

"Hey Sy." Danny said, hoping he did look like he was scowling at her, as he wished to be.

"Well Lindsay you must be exhausted, if dealing with Casey was anything like you've said." Syler said smiling.

"Yeah, goodnight Danny." Lindsay said, looking back she gave him a smile.

He nodded, "Goodnight ladies." He said, turning to walk away, feeling utterly defeated.

* * *

Just another kind reminder...

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	24. Chapter 24

Okay, I'm sorry sincerely I am. But I inadvertently let my obsession with The Office spill into story. It's just this one chapter, and I won't let it happen again, but when I realized what I had done, I liked it too much to move. If any of you watch the office, you will probably catch what I'm talking about, but if not, I hope you enjoy the chapter just the same.

שלום

* * *

Syler walked into the NYPD Crime Lab. which she had been in about two, or three weeks prior. She had been, wanting to take Lindsay to lunch and ask her how her date with Danny went, since she hadn't seen much of her since that night.

She headed into the building and was confused already by the directions the secretary had given her. But she didn't really wish to go back, because she had seemed irritated by her in the first place.

After about ten more minutes of confused remembrance, she turned back to the secretary desk and smiled, when the middle aged woman whom once sat there. Had been replaced with an early twenties man.

She moved over to it in three or four graceful strides, and in her best distressed voice she could muster, she spoke.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm from Montana, and I'm here to see my sister. I got directions from that other lady, but they were really confusing, could you help me?"

His smile grew when he saw her approaching, and he nodded.

"Sure thing, do you have pass?"

It was Syler who nodded then, flashing the pass that Lindsay had given her a few day before.

"You're Lindsay Monroe's sister?" He asked, typing the badge number into the computer.

"That's right."

"Okay, follow me."

They arrived on the fifth floor, and were having a nice chat, when out of nowhere Danny arrived.

"Hey Temp." He called out, and the man beside her who name badge read 'Ryan' rolled his eyes.

"Danny." He said curtly.

"Hello Syler, don't worry Temp, I've got it from here." He said, pulling on her arm, and away from Ryan.

She flashed him a smile, as Danny pulled her around a corner and out of Ryan's sight.

"What are you doing hanging around with that kid? It will ruin your reputation you know?"

She smiled at him. "Oh God, well I'm glad you got me away from him, before anyone saw."

He laughed, as his eyes moved to something behind and she turned to find a particularly delightful looking man standing behind her.

He flashed a smile at her, which she returned, and they stood for a moment longer, challenging the other to look away.

When Danny's voice caused them both to turn.

"So, when you two are finished with your stare down, I'll show you too Lindsay."

She smiled and started to follow Danny when his 911 line beeped on his hip.

"Aw damn Messer, that's gotta suck, don't worry though, I'll show her where Lindsay is."

"Thanks Flack." He called after him.

Looking down at it he smiled, as it flashed Flack's number across his screen.

"So what brings you to The Big Apple?" He asked.

Both having exchanged formalities, and relations.

"Well, don't tell Lindsay, but I'm thinking of moving here. I'm a little tired of Montana, I was here a little while ago, and now I'm hooked."

"The city tends to have that effect on people," He said, as they rounded one more corner, "I give you Lindsay."

The sound of her name caused her to look up, and she smiled at the pair of them, before turning back to her work.

Syler pivoted her body back towards Don, and smiled.

"Well this is my stop."

He smiled in return; "Well my stop is that way." He said, gesturing down the hall.

"But maybe I'll see you around sometime?"

"Yeah, we'll have to do something later." He said, keeping his options open.

"Sure thing."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Slyer walked around the corner, smiled at her sister; "Do you know a good chiropractor?"

Lindsay's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the question as she looked up at her sister. "My neck is going to be so cramped, because apparently, tasty oozes from these walls."

Lindsay rolled her eyes, "Please never say that again."

"I'm sorry," Syler said insincerely, "I can't help it, and I am quite positive that neither would you, if you bothered to look at them once and a while."

"You really need to get yourself a boyfriend."

"Why are you so nervous Linds, its not like I'd go after your man, no matter how fine he looked on Friday."

Lindsay's eyes widened a panicked look on her face.

"Lindsay I was kidding." Syler started, when she noticed her sister no longer looking at her, but behind her.

"Syler this is my boss," She glared at her sister, "Detective Mac Taylor."

Syler turned smiling at the tall, tan man before her, "Hiya boss man." She said smiling.

"Hi." He said, looking past her at Lindsay, "Your man?" He asked.

"No one you would know." She stated simply.

"She's in denial." Syler explained.

Mac smiled, looking from Lindsay, back over at Syler, laughing as she blatantly checked him out, before returning her gaze to his eyes, "Did I pass?" Mac asked giving her a charming smile.

"Depends, will you let me take my sister away from this sweat shop, and out to lunch?"

His smile, became smaller, and he averted his gaze to Lindsay, "I came up here two hours ago to tell you to get something to eat, I thought you had left and come back."

Shrugging her shoulders, she sighed, and looked back at the evidence in front of her.

"So…is that a yes?" Syler asked, giving him a pleading smile.

"That's a hell yes."

Syler smiled, and pulled on Lindsay's arm, but she protested, "My jacket."

"Fine get it, I'll be at the elevator, and if you're not there in five minutes, I will know that you're working again, so don't even try it."

Lindsay smiled, and moved to get her coat, turning to leave Mac stopped her momentarily, "Lindsay."

She turned back to him, standing picking up the evidence bag; she had been working with.

"As long as it stays out of my lab, it's okay with me." He said, turning back to his work.

"Oh, we wouldn't…I'm mean we're not…"

"Your sister is waiting."

She walked off shaking her head, only her sister coming could have Mac saying something like that. Lindsay rounded the corner, and could see Adam walking off wearing a smile, only one person could produce, sure enough, the nearer she got, she could see her sister, standing there talking to Stella, and Flack, having them rolling about something.

When she got even closer, Flack's phone began to ring, and he stepped away from the small group, and Stella turned smiling at Lindsay, stepping next to her sister.

"Hey Linds, Stella's coming to lunch with us."

"Alright."

As they stepped into the elevator Stella smiled at Lindsay.

"Heard Messer had a hot date Friday, any ideas who?"

Syler looked at Lindsay, "He's your _partner_." She said stressing the word.

Smiling softly to herself, before wiping it from her face, and looking back at Stella, "Haven't a clue."


	25. Chapter 25

Alright, it's kind of late, and I'm a little tired, but I had this chapter sitting in my mind, and I thought I could just bang it out really quick. But as always it turned into a long process. But alas I must sleep, for tomorrow, I get to thank the beautiful woman who bore me.

Happy Pre-mother's day to all, and to all a good night.

Ειρήνη

* * *

Lindsay walked up the steps of her apartment, she was exhausted, she had started her day way to early, and was just now ending it, way too late.

Placing her key inside of her deadbolt, she sighed, hearing her phone ringing, picking it up from her hip, she read the called ID.

"Flack, if this has anything to do with work I'm hanging up the phone right now."

He smiled, "No, but it does have something to do with your sister."

Lindsay had the door halfway opened when she stopped, "Is she okay?"

"I don't know, I was calling you to talk to her."

Letting out a breath of relief, she wandered around the corner, to find her sister, slouched on the couch, smiling at her sister, she turned back to her show.

"Sure she's right here," Holding out the phone to her sister, "It's Flack."

"Oh that hot, tall cop with the psychedelically insane blue eyes? Gimme, gimme, gimme." She said, jumping from the couch, and running to the phone.

Holding it back for a moment, she caught her sisters' gaze, "Be pleasant."

"Oh I wouldn't dare." Syler said, with mock offense, still reaching for the black plastic her sister held in her hand.

"I mean it Sy, I work with him keep that in mind."

Nodding, Lindsay handed the phone, giving her one more heated glance, before moving to the kitchen, "Hello?" Syler asked.

Flack smiled, and tried to keep from laughing, after hearing their exchange, "Syler?"

"Depends, is this the man that I am thinking of?"

Laughing, he replied, "Depends, do you know any other hot, tall cops with psychedelically insane blue eyes?"

"Touché." She said, laughing as well.

"So I was wondering…"

"Yes."

"If you had seen the real city yet?"

"Nope, I haven't seen anything but the airport, the subway, a _Subway_, and the darling, shiny place, I believe someone called it a bunch of letters. Maybe NDPY or something like that."

"Well we can't very well have you going back to Montana, without at least seeing the sights." He said, his smile growing.

"Oh definitely not." She agreed.

"What would you say if I knew of this guy who gave wonderful two person tours?" He asked, hoping that she wouldn't say no.

Syler smiled at her sister, who was listening intently, "I would love one."

"Great, are you free tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, what do you say, an hour?"

"Sounds good."

"Goodbye Syler."

"Bye Don."

Hanging up the phone, Lindsay turned to see her sister, doing some sort of happy dance.

"What?" She asked, smiling.

"I've got a date with Don! I've got a date with Don!" She said, dancing some more.

"Really?"

"See and I didn't mention that my intention for tonight is to jump him at the end."

"Well now, I think you have indeed turned over a new leaf."

"I'm off to go and beautify myself." She replied, skipping off to Lindsay's room, singing a little tune.

She returned some forty-five minutes later, in a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, a yellow long sleeve tee, slipping on a pair of vans, and turned to her sister.

Stepping out in front of her, "How do I look?" She asked, doing a little twirl, before turning back to her sister.

"Stunning." She replied, still amazed with how easy her sister made it look.

"Good." She said, looking down at her attire, smiling.

Lindsay smiled too, and moved to answer the ringing phone, "Hello?"

"Lindsay, it's Flack."

"Hey Flack, you outside?"

"Yeah, is she ready, or should I wait a little longer?" He asked, sounding quite nervous.

"Oh, no she's ready, you want me to send her down?" She asked, failing to resist the urge to stay on the phone with him, and tease him about their 'tour', until Syler reached him.

"If you would please." He responded, taking a deep breath, before letting it out shakily.

Lindsay motioned toward the door, Syler nodded, smiling and waving to her sister, stepping outside, once the door was closed, and Lindsay was sure her sister was out of earshot. She moved the receiver back up to her mouth smiling, "Just remember Flack, it has been deemed perfectly acceptable to breathe while looking at a pretty girl."

He scoffed, "I'll keep that in mind, but if she looks anything like she did this morning, I'm sticking with the story, that I never was one to conform with societies views."

Laughing Lindsay nodded, "Well good luck." She wished, shaking her head, as he made some response, and hung up the phone.

Gazing around her apartment, she sighed, "Looks like it will be just you and me tonight." Lindsay said, looking at the Tupperware, of hamburgers Syler had cooked the night before.

XxXxXxX

Don Flack stood outside of Lindsay's apartment building, trying to get his breathing under control, while hailing a taxi. Looking back over, at the cause of his labored breathing, he smiled.

"So where do you want to start?" He asked, looking back at the street.

Twisting her mouth to one side, she looked up as if into her head, before shrugging, "I don't know, you're the one who has lived here you entire life, shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

He nodded, "Right, well it depends on whether you want to see the tourist type things. Or the special things, that gives New York it's vibe?"

"Well I always was one for the bright and flashy, but I vibe is a fun word." She said, smiling.

Nodding, as he finally got a cabby to stop, he opened the door, "Alright well we've got all night for you to decide." He said, drawing out his '_all_' inot a four syllable word.

Laughing Syler climbed into the cab, as Don followed closely behind her.

XxXxXxX

Lindsay sat at her kitchen table, she had finished her hamburger long ago, and was now just waiting for Syler to come home, and begin apologizing profusely to Don. For Syler shrinking any kind of masculinity that the man had previously had, like she had done with the rest of her sister's guys.

Playing with the ends of her shirt, she looked up at the sound of her phone beginning to ring.

_Normally takes longer._

She thought, turning to stand, expecting to hear her sister's voice on the other end of the call.

"Hello?" She said.

"Montana." Danny said smiling.

"Danny?" She asked, instantly feeling stupid.

_Yeah cause there is someone else on the planet that calls you Montana._ She thought.

He smiled, "Yeah, what are you doing right now?"

"Nothing much, I was thinking about watching a DVD, maybe _Must Love Dogs_, I hear it's really good." She said, smiling as well.

He laughed, "I heard that somewhere too."

"So what prompted this phone call?" She asked.

"Well," He said, dragging it out, "I was sitting at home…and doing nothing…and I was wondering…If maybe…you would like to maybe…catch a movie…with me." He stopped every couple of words, as if trying to come up with some reason to tell her, other than the truth.

But who was she to complain, a night with Danny, was a night with Danny, "Sure, what did you have in mind."

Danny sat shell shocked for a few moments, "Om, I'm not exactly sure, I was just thinking we could see what was playing, and then pick." He replied, hoping it didn't sound as stupid to her, as it did to him.

"Okay, about how long until you can be here, or would you like me to meet you out somewhere?"

_Psh and miss getting to drive you home again, over my dead body._

"Nah, that's okay, I'll just head on over there, don't sweat it."

"Alright, when can you be here."

"Say, half an hour?"

"Yeah, that's great." She said, trying to contain her excitement.

"Okay, Om…bye Lindsay."

"Bye Danny."

Hanging up the phone, Lindsay did a dance, similar to what Syler had done earlier, and fought the urge to bust out in _'I've got a date with Danny, I've got a date with Danny!'_


	26. Chapter 26

ImaSupernaturalCSI, I thank you or the idea of adding Syler and Don's date to the agenda. I had thought about writing one, and putting it in there, but I wasn't sure how many people were wanting an exclusive Danny/Lindsay story. But you have seemed to enjoy Syler's presence, so I have decided to keep it. Hope you all like it :)

Keep on reviewing!

Peace

* * *

Don and Syler were strolling lazily through Central Park. He had shown her just about trick, and trade he knew about his beloved city, from the secret entrance into Yankee Stadium, to the one shop on the whole city that made authentic Greek food. He had been having one of the best night of his life, and it was about over, Don had been racking his brain, since they started to walk Central Park. Trying to think of something else he could show her, to prolong the evening, but the truth was he was completely out of places to go.

"So anything else that you know of?" She asked, zipping the hoodie up.

He gazed for a moment, pretending to think, "Oh, I probably have a few more places I could show you."

"Alright, and where are they?"

"Oh, I said I could show you, not that I would." He replied, with a smirk.

"What?"

"Well I mean I could show you, but then I'd have to kill you, and well I'm a cop, and Lindsay is my friend, so I don't really think it would be right." He explained, with mock seriousness.

"Oh, I'm sure." She countered, shivering once more.

"Are you cold?" He asked, noticing it for the sixth time.

"What gave me away?" She asked, laughing.

Smiling, he shrugged, "Well I am a detective, I'm trained to pick up on these kinds of things."

"Of course."

"Would you like my jacket?" He asked, already starting to pull it off.

"Oh, no you don't have to."

"Nah, don't worry about it, I'm actually getting a little hot in that thing." He said handing it over.

"Thanks Don." She said, looking up at him, and slipping the leather jacket over her shoulders.

XxXxXxX

"I had no idea you liked action movies Montana." Danny said, walking out of the Movie Theater.

"Are you kidding me? I had seen every _Die Hard_ movie by the time, I was ten, _Bruce Willis_, yes please."

"Nice." He said laughing, and looked over at her.

"What?" She asked, self-consciously lifting her hands to her face, after he continued to look.

"Nothing I just…" He paused, looking her in the eyes, before skimming down to her lips, and back again, "Nothing."

She smiled at him, a weird little smile. She couldn't believe it, they were having a moment, an awkward and confusing one, but it was a moment, and it was broken just as quickly as it came on.

He glanced over her shoulder, and quickly turned around, placing a hand to cover his face.

"Um, Danny? What are you doing?" Lindsay asked, stepping in front of him.

"Okay, you know how I pretended to be your boyfriend, that one time." He said, moving his hands to remove the necklace he wore.

"I do." She said, watching in confusion.

"Well, I'm gonna need you to kind of do the same for me."

"You want me to be your girlfriend?"

"I said 'kind of'." He replied, unhooking the necklace, and sliding his mothers ring that he kept there, holding it up for her to see.

Smiling, she looked at the ring and laughed.

"I'm taking that as a yes." Taking her left hand, and sliding it unto her ring finger, he smiled, it was a perfect fit.

"Danny?" Came from behind the two.

Lindsay looked at him, his eyes shut tight, with a caught in the cookie jar expression, seeming to know exactly who the whinny, high pitched voice had belonged too.

"Krystal?" He said, turning back around, and plastering a smile unto his face.

Lindsay watched her approach and she felt sick to her stomach already.

She knew people like that, they are the kind that are so beautiful you want to punch them, and when you are within a two foot radius of them, you can feel you IQ dropping, or at least your self esteem.

"Danny!" She said again, louder this time.

"Krystal!" He repeated, not really sure, what else it was he could say at that moment.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, walking over, and embracing him in a hug, that he seemed all too eager to break.

"Oh, you know, just seeing a movie."

"Well who's your friend."

"Ah." He said, looking over at her, hoping to find an answer, as to whether she would play along or not, in her eyes.

"Well, I guess you could say we're a little bit past the friend stage." Lindsay covered, putting her arm around his shoulders, holding up her hand to show.

"Oh my gosh!" She squealed, grabbing at her hand, and examining it further.

"Yeah." Danny said, putting an arm around her waist, and whispering a thank you, into her ear.

She shivered, and begged her knees not to give, becasue being this close to him was too much of a Godsend.

"Wow, who knew you would settle down?" Krystal returned her gaze to Lindsay's, and gave a huge smile that didn't reach her eyes. Because within in them, was nothing but death and destruction, which of course changed, when her attention was switched to Danny.

"That is crazy, you settling down, I truly can't believe it. That is just too…great." She said after a long moment, of trying to come up with a word, that wouldn't make her sound too thrilled.

"It really is." He said, pulling her closer to him.

"Well, it was good catching up with you."

"You too."

"Alright, well, bye."

Lindsay began to laugh when she was out of earshot.

"What?"

"She didn't even ask my name."

It dawned on him as well, and they both left laughing.

XxXxXxX

Don was highly amused; by the way their night was ending. Lindsay had texted Syler about an hour earlier, telling her that Danny had called, and they were now out, and not to worry if she wasn't there whenever she got back.

"I really think you're good."

"Shh…" She said for what had to be the ninth time. Knocking again, she finally stuck her head around the door, and called out into the apartment, shouting crazy phrases, that would definitely ruin a moment, no matter how caught up in it you actually were.

"Okay, I'm thinking we're good." She said, finally turning back around, for the first time in the five minutes they had been standing there.

"Good." He said, fiddling with his thumbs.

"Well thank you for the tour." She said, smiling, and looking him up and down.

_**"I work with him."**_

Syler blinked slowly, she hated it when her sister told her what to do, even when she wasn't there.

"You're welcome."

Sighing, SYler opened the door wider, stepping inside, "I guess I'll see you when I see you then."

"Yeah." Don said, a look of confusion crossing his face.

"Bye."

"Bye." He replied, watching her close the door.

He stood a moment longer,wondering what had come over her in the last three seconds of their conversation, and was starting to leave when he heard pounding footsteps, and turned back in time to see the door fly open, Syler step through smiling.

"What?" He asked, smirking at her.

Not saying a word, she moved closer to him, and stood on her tiptoes, in order to get close enough to him, before moving her hands to the nape of his neck, and finally bringing his lips down to meet hers.

The kiss only lasted a moment, she pulled away, and smiled at him moving back inside the apartment, and shut the door.

* * *

**_BWAH!!!_**

**_READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!!!_**


	27. Chapter 27

With finals gone, and summers arrival. I feel a huge weight being lifted off of my shoulders, so now I can just float through my summer, writing all the time!

Hope you all enjoy today's chapter, I certainly had a blast writing it.

Peace!

* * *

Danny sat alone in his living room. His night had not ended as he had hoped, Lindsay had said goodnight to him, and after, three excruciatingly long and awkward seconds, she went inside. But emerged a few moments later and, much to his disappointment, he saw she hadn't given him the ring back. So there he sat, holding the ring at arms length, resting on his knee, just looking at it. He will never forget what his mother told him to do with it, when she handed it to him, on his twenty-first birthday.

_**Flashback:**_

_Danny sat at a table, covered with a blue tablecloth, and little bits of confetti reading 'Happy 21__st__'. He hadn't stopped smiling since the party had started, and didn't think he would be able to long after it was over_

"_Dan!" His mother called to him._

_He turned smiling, and stood to meet her._

"_Hi ma." He said, kissing her cheek and embracing her in a hug._

"_Happy 21__st__." She said, her smile growing as she did._

"_What?" He asked, seeing it grow._

"_I just can't believe my little boy is all grown up, and of drinking age!"_

_He laughed, "Thanks ma."_

"_Oh, and I almost forgot." With that, she raised her hand from her side, and slid the ring off her wrinkled finger, "Here."_

"_Oh, you don't have too."_

"_Nah, ah, ah," She said, placing it in the palm of his hand, "You are my last baby, and you're going to get it."_

"_It's beautiful ma." He said, looking down at the simple band, with the beautiful blue stone coming out of it._

"_Well it's yours."_

"_I love it." He said, hugging the small woman._

"_Now Daniel, you have to do something for me."_

"_Alright, name it."_

"_I want you to give that to the girl that you love."_

"_What?"_

"_I want you to give it to her, without telling her what it means to you."_

"_But ma…"_

"_Just do it, and if it's meant to be, then she'll figure it out. That's what your father did with me, and his father as well, God rest their souls, and now it's your turn."_

_**End Of Flashback:**_

The ring now rested on his knee by itself; his hands folded in his lap.

He couldn't get the picture of himself sliding the ring onto Lindsay's finger out of his mind, that and the fact that it had fit her like it was made for her.

Sighing, he got up, and placed the ring back on the necklace, and slipped it back over his head, going to try and catch some sleep, before he started his graveyard shift.

XxXxXxX

Lindsay was in her bed, playing idly with her left ring finger, trying to pretend that her skin wasn't still burning from Danny's ring, even though she had returned it to him hours before. She didn't want to think about the last time a ring had resided on that particular finger. Or about the last time she had gotten involved with someone from work.

Up until that point she had been able to lie to herself, telling her mind that her situation was different, because she wasn't seeing Danny. But the moment that ring had slid on her finger, everything came rushing back to her, like she had been sitting on the sidelines of her life, watching it unfold.

Mostly she just didn't want to think about Simon. Or about how much Danny reminded her of him.

Sighing, she rolled over on her stomach looking at her clock. Which told her that again, she had stayed up half the night musing over him. Lindsay shook her head, trying to let the thoughts of Danny and Simon fall out her ears as she did, so she could just sleep.

But she hadn't imagined that her sleep would do more bad, than good.


	28. Chapter 28

Sorry I disappeared on you. I know I said that I would be updating a lot during the summer, and I'm sorry it took a while. But Alaska does weird things to you, especially when you do not have a computer. So when I got home I spent most of my time sleeping, and now I'm updating. I hope you all enjoy this chapter it sure was a fun one to write!

Peace.

* * *

Lindsay woke up that morning smiling. It was Wednesday, September 14th, and today was her birthday.

She knew that she shouldn't be smiling, but she couldn't help herself. Birthday's were birthday's, no one knew what was about them, but they were perfect, and smiling educing.

It was going to be fantastic, her sister was there, Stella had been working all week on the party, and they were going to have it after work, while everyone was still there.

Don was providing the food, Adam was doing the decorations, and Syler and Kindle were making her cake.

Work was slow and boring, but she got through it, and was standing in the locker room, waiting from Danny, because he was who Stella said she would send, when the party was ready.

The locker room door slowly opened, and Danny came in smiling, "Happy birthday Montana." He said, his smile growing.

"Thank you Danny."

He moved to sit next to her on the bench, "Are we not going?"

"No, not yet at least, I was just bored watching them decorate, and they wouldn't talk to me while they're decorating, so I came in here, they said they would be done in like ten minutes though."

"Oh alright, what do you suggest we do until then, because I've been sitting in here bored out of my mind?"

"Um we could play a game, me and my brother used to play this game all the time when I was a kid."

"Alright, what is it?"

"Well it's kind of like truth or dare, but with out the dare."

She laughed, and looked over at him, "Okay how do you play?"

"See there are two kinds of truths in this game. The first is called tell one tell all, and that's a rumor that someone has heard, and you confirm or deny it, truthfully of course."

"And the second?"

"The second, is where you answer, truthfully, whatever question they decide to ask you, no matter if you have never told anyone in your entire life."

"Alright."

"Seriously, you're going to play?"

"Yeah sure, we have nothing better to do."

"Alright, you start."

"Okay, I start," After a moment of thinking a smile appeared on her face, "Got it, is it true, that you have slept with more than one hundred women?"

Danny laughed uncontrollably at that, "No, no way. I'm flattered that someone would think that, but unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of sleeping more than a hundred woman."

"You're up?"

"Alright—"

Their game ended up lasting a long time past ten minutes, but they didn't seem to notice.

"Your turn Danny." Lindsay said, from her position, now lying back on of the benches.

"Okay—Why is it—" He stopped to look at her, but would look back at the ends of his shirt which he had started playing with some five minutes ago. Until he finally locked eyes with her to finish his question, "That every time I try and kiss you, something goes wrong?"

The question threw her, and she sat up to look at him from a different angle, to try and see from his expression, if he had actually just asked the question she thought he had.

"Um—"

"There you guys are, we thought you had been kidnapped," Hawkes said, after opening the door, "I got them guys." He called off, to the others who were apparently looking for them as well.

"See what I mean?" He said, standing from the bench and walking from the room.

Lindsay stood from her bench as well, and made her way to the door. Walking behind Sheldon they finally reached the room.

Rounding the corner, Lindsay's jaw dropped, the lab looked amazing, literally unrecognizable.

"So?" Came Stella's voice from behind.

"I love it," She said, moving to hug her, "You out did yourself, it looks amazing, completely different, but in an amazingly different kind of way." She said, hugging her again.

"Happy One Day Closer to Your Death Day!" Was shouted from behind Lindsay.

"Thanks Sy, you really needed to point that one out." Lindsay said laughing, and hugging her as well.

"Don't be hating on the O.D.C.T.Y.D.D." She said with a smile.

She made the rounds, thanking and hugging everyone, and effectively avoiding Danny in those rounds, unfortunately, she couldn't get past Stella's special surprise, involving everyone.

They had apparently all drawn numbers before hand, and then were all going to stand up, and give a speech about Lindsay.

Mac was first, saying the typical boss things, like what a hard, and focused worker she was, but he steered away from that everyone once in a while.

Adam was after him, telling a story about their day, when they were trapped in the elevator.

Kindle was after him, then Stella, then Don, then Payton, then Syler, and to wrap it all up was Danny.

He stood slowly, and walked to the center of the room, where everyone else had, only he carried no note cards to read from, no sheet of paper to follow along after, not even pictures as some had.

Danny simply walked, with that confidently sexy swagger of his, over in front of her and smiled, obviously remembering what he had said to her in the locker room.

"I guess it's my turn to say a little something about Lindsay…"

The room was dead silent, all Lindsay could pick up on, was Danny's slow and deep breathing.

"…I first starting working with her, about a year ago, as most of you know, and at first I wasn't to happy about getting another partner, so soon after Aidan—"

A few nodded remembering the day.

"But that's the thing about Lindsay, that makes her so—"

He paused for a moment, searching for the words.

"—Annoyingly great. It is next to impossible to be angry with her for more than a day, and believe me I have wanted too—"

That one got a few knowing laughs, and Lindsay smiled, still unsure where it was he was going with this.

"—I never have been very good at beating around the bush, so here it is. Lindsay—"

Danny turned his gaze, which had been sort of staring off, back to her, locking his pools of blue, with her eyes.

"—You are one hell of a person, and I am proud to call you my partner. But more than that, I'm proud to call you my friend."

Everyone was smiling, and clapping, when Danny had finished, and started to leave the center of the room.

"Wait a minute Dan," Stella said standing, and running to his side. "It's time for presents, Lindsay, there right here."

She stood and made her way over to them.

The first she opened was from Don, and Syler. Pulling off the blue and purple swirled paper, she revealed a key chain with a hippopotamus attached to it, and immediately started laughing.

Everyone else was smiling, waiting for an explanation, but the three were laughing too hard to produce one, and so Stella simply handed her another present.

When they were all opened, Stella reached from one more, having counted the people there, and the presents.

"Wait we're missing one."

Mac picked up the table cloth, looking underneath, the table that the presents had been sitting next to, in case one had escaped under there, but no such luck.

"Danny," She said turning to face him, "Where is your present."

All eyes shifted to him, "Oh, right," He said, reaching for his neck, he pulled the chain that held his mother's ring off of his neck, "It's not much, but you said that you liked it before, so here." He said, not bothering to remove the ring from the chain.

Lindsay stared at it for a moment, breaking out into a smile, she stood, and hugged him tight, "Thank you Danny, I love it."

His smile grew, as she slid it from the chain, and unto her ring finger, it fit her right hand just as perfect as it had fit her left.

Looking over at Flack, whose jaw had gone slack in mid chew, having been told years ago, what his mother had told him to do with it.

Placing his hands in his pocket, he shrugged and smiled, Don smiled back. Looking over at Lindsay, and then back at his cake.


	29. Chapter 29

Happy 4th of July! Don't you just love the smell of burgers, and dogs. The Ohs and Ahs of little ones, as if they hadn't been expecting the fireworks at all. Well in honor of the Independence of this great nation of ours, I give you chapter 29.

Peace!

* * *

The party had wound down, and Danny had left quickly after the presents had been given, complaining about having to nurse a sick stomach. But Syler was none too convinced, and she was determined to find out what was up.

She could feel the shift in everyone as soon as the presents were finished, mostly because everyone felt the shift in Danny and Don.

"Hey you." She said walking up behind Don's lovely form, as he stood from picking up the last of the trash, knowing that their break room had to be in pristine condition if they were to keep their jobs in the morning.

"Hey there." He said, offering a lopsided smile to her, making her smile wider inside and out.

"Do you know what was up with Danny?"

His smile faltered, but only ever so slightly, before he shook his head, "I haven't a clue."

He turned away from her, returning to his trash duty.

"You know it's a good thing you are a cop,"

A slight confusion hit his face, as he glanced back at her.

"Because you would suck as a criminal."

His shoulders dropped, "I'm sorry," Setting the trash bag down, he turned to her letting Syler step into his open arms "I can't say, I was sworn to secrecy."

"Come one Donnie," She said drawing out the name, and playing idly with the end of his tie, her fingers brushing awfully close to his waistband, "I'm not asking you to betray your friend, I'm just looking out for my sister."

Don had closed his eyes, and pushed the fact that she was now playing with the buckle of his belt from his mind, "I don't know what you're talking about babe, Danny seemed fine to me."

"I just want a little bit of information, and then we can," She moved her finger, to run along the slit of his pocket, "Talk. Just the two of us."

"Syler," He said, almost on the verge of whining, this was so not fair, "I--he was just--it was because--No!"

He back away from her, and started picking up trash again.

"Fine be that way." She said, sitting down on one of the chairs, that was tall like a bar stool.

"You're not really mad at me are you?"

She couldn't help but smile at the pain she could already see creeping in, at the thought of her being mad at him, and for a moment the thought crossed her mind to mess with him, but she refrained.

"No."

"Good." He said moving next to her.

Her smile grew, from here she could almost see the top of his head.

XxXxXxX

Lindsay hadn't taken the ring off since her birthday, not since Stella and the gang had begun to sing to her, _'for she is a jolly good fellow'_. Not even to take a shower or anything, it just sat O so perfectly on her finger, she often admired it, and after all it was gorgeously simple.

When she asked Danny where he had gotten it, he told her he couldn't recall exactly where, but he had, had it for years, and it didn't mean anymore or any less to him, then when he first got it.

It was the same blue as Danny's eyes, which also happened to be her birth stone, she wasn't sure if Danny knew that or not, but it was still cool that she got such a pretty ring, set with her birth stone, on her actual birthday.

"Morning Danny." She said, walking into work.

"Morning Montana." He replied, eying her hand, which still held his mother's ring, and it hadn't ceased to bring a smile to his face, that she wore it so often.

"Do we have anything today?" She asked, from behind her computer.

"Nope, not that I heard."

Danny had tried to stay true to his word, and not tell Lindsay what it meant to him, he even had to lie to her about it once, but he was bursting at the seams, trying to keep his mouth shut about it.

Lindsay's elbow was up on her desk, and her thumb was spinning the ring around her finger, as she read over something on her computer screen.

He watched for a moment, then watched the ring, and turned his gaze back to her face, which was now facing him.

"What?"

"Nothing," He said, trying to keep the embarrassment from his expression, "You just really like that ring, huh?"

"I really do." She said smiling at him.

"Well I'm glad."

XxXxXxX

Danny had left sometime ago and the later it got, the more Lindsay didn't leave, and the more work she seemed to not do.

She had begun focusing on her ring; she still spun it around her finger, a trait she had gotten from her father, who used to do it in instances of great boredom.

Finally she pulled it off of her finger, it inspect it better, she had a faint tan line, from where it hadn't left her finger in the week and a half since she got it.

Turning it this way and that, she only fell in love with it more, the light from her desk lamp caught the inside of the ring, and she saw a small engraving there.

Pulling her light over closer to the small ring of metal, she squinted and read the words engraved in silver.

'_To my love, Sara. Hope it was the wedding of your dreams - Isaac.'_

It was simple yet beautiful, now with that information, she did think it looked more like a wedding band, than a plain old ring.

_I wonder if Danny knew this was here?_

Standing up, she decided to go and find out, she wasn't sure why she didn't just call to ask, and on the ride of she tried to justify seeing him at 10:39 at night.

_Maybe he would like too see the ring? Yeah_, she thought,_ He'll want to see it, once I tell him._

_

* * *

_

Everyone Read and Review!!

I love it!!!!


	30. Chapter 30

WeeHoo! Chapter 30! Who have thought I would have made it thus far, certainly not me. Thanks to everyone who keeps on reading and reviewing. Keep it up my people! Enjoy this chapter, and please **_READ AND REVIEW!!!_**

Peace.

* * *

She waited patiently until he reached his door.

His hair was wet and spiked up in different directions, from a quick towel dry, he had obviously just gotten out of the shower, because his shirt still clung a little to his damp chest.

"Hey Montana, what's up?"

"Hi Danny, I found something I think you'll be interested in."

"Oh yeah? Well come on in."

He closed the door behind her, and walked over to his kitchen chair, "What's up?"

"Check this out." Lindsay slid the ring from her finger, and flipped it over for him to see.

Of course he knew what was written there, but he held it up in the light anyway, and even squinted for good measure.

"Wow that's really something." He said, handing it back to her with a smile.

"Isn't it?" Taking the ring, she read it once more, "Who do you think she was?" She asked him, with a mystical look in her eye.

"I'm sure she was something."

"You know, I bet our birthdays are in the same month."

"Really why?"

"Because, it's my birthstone, and why would he give her the wrong birth stone in her wedding band?"

Danny smiled again, and nodded. She was right of course; his mother's birthday was only several days before Lindsay's.

"I can't imagine why. But while you're here, you want something to drink?"

"Sure a drink would be great." She said, smiling, and rising from her chair.

"Alright, what's you're poison, I've got soda, beer, water, orange juice?"

"Some soda would do wonders." She called, from his living room.

"Coming up."

She was looking over all of his pictures, when she came across one that really caught her eye.

It was of a young woman, in a stunning dress, with was a wedding photo, she picked it up off of the shelf, and was looking over it when she noticed the woman's wedding band.

"Here Montana." His breath was hot against her neck, and she dropped the picture frame, which broke the instant it hit the floor.

She turned around to face him, of course the one time she doesn't feel him enter a room, she breaks something.

"I am so sorry."

He looked down at the broken frame, but untouched picture, and shrugged, "Don't sweat it, I'll get a broom."

Walking away, Lindsay picked up the picture, and smiled down on the happy couple, turning it over, she found another photo taped to the back of it.

Pulling it carefully off, it revealed words in small print.

_Sara & Isaac Messer __December 19th 1946__._

She could have sworn her heart stopped beating, looking at the other photo still upside down in her palm, she slowly turned it back over, to reveal, two hands joined together, with two stunning wedding bands.

The first was a man's, a silver band, with a simple row of diamonds running diagonally across it, simple and not too frilly.

The woman's however, was strikingly familiar.

It was a simple silver ring, with a beautiful blue stone coming out of it.

She gasped, and moved to sit down on Danny's couch.

"Danny, what's your moms name?"

He walked into the room, holding his broom and dust pan smiling.

"Sara, why?"

Lindsay jumped up from her position on the couch, and ran for the kitchen, "Because this is your mothers wedding band!" She squealed.

"Really?" He replied sarcastically, "I've been looking for that."

"This is so not funny, you gave me your mother's wedding band!" Her voice was rising by the second, and he was afraid she would reach sonar level if he didn't explain.

"Yes." He said quietly, not really sure where to start.

She took a deep breath, "Yes?" She mocked, "Yes? You gave me your mother's wedding band, on purpose, and lied to me about it, and when I figure it out, all you have to say for yourself, is yes?"

He stood a moment longer, "Ah, yes?"

"Unbelievable!"

Danny refrained from laughing, at her flustered state, because he knew it could only worsen the situation.

"Listen Montana—"

"No you listen, I want an explanation—"

"—That is what I'm—"

"—And I want it now!"

"—I'm trying to give you one."

"Alright, but it better be a good one!"

"Well I hope so," He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind, he had never told someone one, outside of his parents and brother, that he loves them before, and truly meant it. "Here's the thing, my mother gave me that ring, on my twenty first birthday, and she told me to give it to someone special—" He figured he would get to the 'I love you' part later. "—Someone who means a lot to me, someone who I care a lot about—"

Lindsay was becoming a little confused, with what exactly it was he was trying to say, all in all he cared deeply about her, he had gotten that across, but she wasn't sure what it was he was going to say. He was also acting very strange, his hands were glistening, from what she assumed was a sheen of sweat and shaking uncontrollably, well she guessed uncontrollably because he kept glaring at them. Willing them to stop with his mind. His voice was low and slow, but he was getting the words out, which was quite an accomplishment on his part.

"—But obviously I hadn't found the perfect person to give it too yet, I've never even found someone who comes close, but with you, there just doesn't seem to be any other option—"

"Danny what are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say—" He opened his eyes, and took a another deep breath, forcing himself to finish, "—That—that I'm in love with you Montana."

The room all of the sudden, felt very small and very quiet, they just stood there, this was kind of the reaction Danny knew was coming, but praying anyway that it wouldn't.

Lindsay's eyes left him, and looked at her shoes.

"Oh." She said quietly, not really sure what else could be said.

Standing a moment longer, she finally decided that it was time to go, and picking up her bag, she mustered an awkward smile, and left.


	31. Chapter 31

Did you all enjoy my disappearing act? No? Well just the same, I am sorry it took me this long to update, but my massive writers block along with more schoolwork than I care to endure has kept me from my beloved words. But here I leave it for your viewing pleasuren chap 31.

Peace! Love! and Zombies!

* * *

Danny stood in his living room, right where Lindsay had left him, the majority of the night.

Eventually he did move to sit on his couch, placing his hands in his head, he wanted to cry.

But he hadn't done that since he was a kid, and he wasn't even sure he remembered how to cry anymore.

He wasn't sure what to do; Lindsay had rejected him, not in so many words, or any for that matter. But she hadn't said anything to him, after his big reveal, she had just left. The only woman he had ever loved didn't love him back.

Pulling his dry face, from his dry hands, he sighed, when a thought struck him.

XxXxXxX

"Love?" Syler asked, sitting on Lindsay's couch, watching her pace her own living room.

"Love!" She shouted, "'I'm in love you Montana.'" She mocked, the way that Danny had said this too her.

"Maybe he didn't mean it the way it sounded," Syler offered, receiving a confused look from her sister, "Maybe he meant it as more of an 'I'm in love with you Montana.'" She said, putting on a dreamy look to match her star struck voice.

"Yeah right," Lindsay scoffed, throwing herself down on the couch next to her sister, and laying her head back, trying to gather her jumbled thoughts.

"No seriously, he's a guy right, and doesn't exactly strike me as the kind that would wear his heart on his sleeve. So maybe, just the simple fact that he even told you, is a huge step for him."

"I doubt it, it's only because I wouldn't flirt with him, men always want what they can't have." She said.

"You never flirted?" Syler asked, looking over at her.

"Not once." She said, firmly.

"You _never_ once, flirted with that sweet piece of man candy, in the entire time you

have the known the poor sap?"

"Okay A, don't call him that, and B— I may have flirted a little."

"A little! The man loves you Lindsay, you must have done something!"

"He does not love me." Lindsay said, her expression diminishing as she said it.

"Wait, what?"

"Danny, Blue Eyes, Sweet piece of man candy, whatever you want to call him, he does not, and will not ever love me."

"Why not?" Syler asked, returning to her seat on the couch.

"Because, I'm not his type."

"Lindsay Aliya Monroe," Syler said, gripping her by the shoulders, "If that boy thinks that you, being as amazingly fantastically wonderful as you are, are not his type, then he didn't deserve you in the first place."

Lindsay smiled at her sister, and when she did, Syler sprang up off the couch, "Well you should probably head on to bed, you're probably very tired."

"Yeah I am, you gonna hit the hay too?"

"Nah, I think I'll stay up a little longer."

"Okay good night."

"Night."

Syler smiled at her sister, and as soon as she was out of sight, ran to the door, grabbing her purse, shoes, and phone, before running out the door.

XxXxXxX

Lindsay lay in bed, and wishing to cry. But wouldn't, because she promised herself that she wouldn't ever cry over him again.

But just sitting there, she couldn't stop herself from thinking about that night.

**_Flashback:_**

_It had rained that night, and Lindsay was just happy to be out of it, having spent the last several hours in downtown __Washington__ D.C, processing a scene._

_Now she was standing at a window watching it fall against the streets._

_Simon came up behind her and sighed, "I'm sorry Lindsay, you know that? Don't you?"_

_She didn't look at him, she didn't even want to be near him, but he had to get his things from her apartment._

_She had tried so many times to justify what he had done, but she finally decided that she couldn't._

_The man was married, and yet he had slept with Lindsay._

_The man was married, and yet he always seemed to forget that whenever he was around Lindsay._

_The man was married, and yet he had told her that he had fallen in love with her._

_The man was married, and yet when he promised he would always be there for her, the truth was, he couldn't be._

_But that's what Lindsay told herself she got for rushing into a relationship with a man from her work. A man she barely knew. A man who didn't seem logical for her._

_"Listen I—"_

_"Just go Simon—please."_

_He sighed and moved towards the door turning back just before he left._

_"I will always love you Lindsay—always."_

**_End Of Flashback_**

Her eyes finally welled up with tears that she couldn't hold back, and she rolled over, willing sleep to take her over, and let her leave the world behind, at least for a few hours.

XxXxXxX

"Now Daniel, you don't let that girl get you down, she'll come around if she knows what's good for her."

"Thanks ma." Danny said, "See you Sunday." Walking out of her home, he hailed himself a cab, his mother always had a way of making him see the silver lining, if Lindsay and him were meant to be together, then she would come around.

He just hoped that she could do it before work the next day, because that would be the most awkward thing he would have ever encountered.

XxXxXxX

Arriving home he sighed, thinking of another sleepless night. Rounding the corner to his home, he found the lock jimmied, and he pulled the gun from it's holster.

He moved his door open, cursing the fact that it let out a loud groan when it was disturbed.

"Danny?" Her voice rang out.

Which he recognized instantly.

"Syler?"

"Danny!"

She moved around the corner from his kitchen.

He smiled at her, and he thought she was about to smile back, when she suddenly looked like she remembered something she would have rather not.

Looking over by his bookshelf, she saw the glass shards, and he suddenly knew why she was there.

"Were you serious, or is this just some kind of you getting what you can't have?"

"Huh?" He asked, now honestly confused with what she was saying.

"Earlier when you told Lindsay you were in love with her. Did you mean it, or did you just say that to sleep with her."

The moment the words passed her lips, he felt disgusted with the thought of anyone using Lindsay that way.

"I would rather die before I would hurt Lindsay like that."

"That doesn't answer my—"

"I meant what I said." He spat, interrupting her.

She smiled, "Thank God!" She said, running to him and hugging his neck.

"Because I would have greatly disliked killing you slowly and painfully, dismembering your body, and then burying you in Central Park for breaking my sister's heart like that."

He smiled, and hugged her back.

"But it doesn't matter," He said when she stepped out of the embrace, "She doesn't love me back."

"Oh contraire," Syler said with a smile, "I think that she does she just doesn't know it yet."

"What do you mean?"

"She's been hurt before, and she just doesn't know how to cope with these feelings just yet, but I have a way to make her see the light."

He smiled at the sinister smirk which had graced her features, "What did you have in mind?"


	32. Chapter 32

As a gesgure of good faith, I have also uploaded this chapter as well, please don't leave me! :) Have fun my little kiddies!

Peace! Love and Cheese Blocks!

* * *

Syler had refused to give Danny specifics on her plan. He was only told what his role was, what he needed to do, and that her plan was foolproof. Which he had believed from the get go, his faith in her only began to falter when she felt the need to remind him of this _fact_ a good thirty times in one conversation.

All Danny's job was that he needed to wait by his phone until Don called him, and then he needed to follow Don's specific instructions. Also to wear that tight blue polo she had seen him in once before. Of course, when Syler had told him all he had to wear was the shirt; he did entertain the thought of showing up in nothing but the shirt. Only to push it from his mind, when she resumed talking, in one of the most serious tones he had ever heard from the small girl's lips.

XxXxXxX

Syler had been up all night planning her attack on Lindsay's denying subconscious. That when Lindsay finally did pull herself from the comforting confides of sleep, and make the trek to her living room. Syler jumped at the noise she made.

"Morning." She said, yawning and grabbing her coffee cup.

The racing of her heart she tried to control, and she smiled over at her sister, "Morning."

Pouring the steaming black liquid into her cup, which she was only half-curious about how it had come to be in the pot that morning. She tried not to imagine the way Danny had said 'Mornin' to her only a few weeks ago.

Shaking her head, she turned to her sister, "Doing anything this morning?"

The only reason she asked was because it was her day to be on call, and she was praying that she wasn't going to have to go in.

"Yeah, actually me and Don, were gonna go and see a movie—but you can come if you wanted too."

Lindsay looked defeated, "No it's okay, I don't' want to be a third wheel."

"Nonsense, Don won't care, I want you to come, it will be fun—please" She ended it with a whinny voice, she hadn't heard her use in years.

"Fine, I'll come."

"Sweet, I'll call Don and tell him change of plans, and to get another ticket."

She smiled, as her sister hopped off the chair, and walked into the living room.

The past few weeks' things had been getting serious between those two, and she was happy for them, she really was. She just wished that whenever Syler talked about Don, it wouldn't remind her of Danny.

_Why had she agreed to go again?_

Syler returned a few moments later, "Don was totally cool with the change, he got us a movie for 10:00 this morning, so I'm gonna go get ready."

"Alright.' She replied, looking over at the clock, which read 9:00

XxXxXxX

Syler and Lindsay arrived at the theater at almost 9:55 ; Don had called a few minutes after Syler got off the phone with him. Saying something about car trouble, and he wouldn't be able to pick them up.

Lindsay was looking around for him, when she heard _Roxanne_ blasting from inside someone's car, and she knew that Don had arrived.

She always found it humorous that his favorite band was _The Police_, even though he swore up and down it had nothing to do with his occupation.

A few more moments and she saw him walking up, Danny following closely behind.

Looking just as shocked as Lindsay that she was there, he glanced at Syler, this hadn't been their plan.

He looked at her with question in his eyes, and then at Don, who just walked over and kissed Syler hello.

Lindsay watched the look at Syler and then at Don, before he dared to look at her, and she could see the fear in his eyes. Danny looked petrified by her.

Her heart lurched in her chest, and she turned back to her sister, who was still telling Don hello.

She cleared her throat, and the two stepped away from each other, smiling at her.

"Shall we?"

Syler and Don took in the look of hatred that Lindsay was giving them, and then the look of fear that Danny was giving the sidewalk beneath his feet.

"Sure." Don said, jerking his head at Danny and the two walked toward the ticket booth.

Syler smiled at Don, and nodded toward the bathroom, and he nodded to show he understood, it had sort of become their tradition at the movies, he would always pick a movie. Without telling her what it was, and she would always love his pick, he would grab the popcorn while she hit the bathroom. But he would always watch the bathroom like a hawk, always worried that something would happen while she was in there, and he would remain helpless outside.

Needless to say, Lindsay and Syler were fine in the bathroom.

"Isn't he so cute, he always watches me walk away."

Lindsay turned and glared at her sister.

"What?" She asked, with either fine acting skills, or true innocence.

"Why is he here?"

"He who?" Syler replied.

_Acting._

Lindsay thought turning away from her sister.

"Look Lindsay I'm sorry, but you two really do need to talk, I swear, you will love me forever if you do."

"I don't want to talk to him Syler, don't you get it? I don't ever want to talk to him, or see him, or think about him. It's too painful."

"Why!?" Syler wasn't getting the big deal.

"Because I love him." She spat.

Ceasing all activity in the bathroom, but Lindsay didn't seem to notice.

"I love him, and he doesn't love me!"

"But that's not what he said—"

"Forget what he said Syler, don't you get it. He doesn't love me he can't love me. Danny Messer wouldn't understand what it means to be in love with me."

Syler was about to say more, when Lindsay walked from the room, with Syler at her heels.

The men were at the entrance to the bathroom, when Lindsay came storming out. Barely giving Danny and Don time to make a hole, before she was past them and out the door.

Syler was now standing with the men, and they turned back to her with questioning eyes.

She looked at Don first, and shook her head.

He sighed and Danny knew what it meant, he handed over the popcorn to Don, and walked away from the two.

"I don't get it," Don said turning back to Syler, once Danny was out of sight, "The two of them are so madly in love with one another. It should have worked."

XxXxXxX

The blinking red light on Danny's machine when he walked in his door told him he had a message, probably from Don or Syler.

He strolled lazily over to the machine, with no real intention of calling anyone back, but just to humor himself, he pushed play.

_"First new message recorded today at __11:01 a.m.__"_

And then he heard it.

_"Hey Danny, it's Lindsay—"_

He could tell from her voice that she was crying.

_"I just wanted to call and tell you that you're off the hook. I don't expect anything from you, I know you don't really love me. How could you? You barely know me, and I barely know you. Anyway, I just thought you would want to know that I'm not gonna hold you to anything—well um—bye."_

_"End of message."_

His head was fuzzy, as he raced for his jacket, not bothering to lock or even shut his front door, he ran to his car, literally jumping in the front seat, turning the key as fast as he could, flipping on his lights and speeding off down the road.

* * *

Oh the suspence! Oh the agony!

Read n' Review and I'll be your best friend!


	33. Chapter 33

Oh, we are nearing the end, only a few more chapters before we wrap up this beautiful relationship. I'm thinking maybe three more, possibly only two, be prepared to be cut off.

Peace! Love and claptrap

* * *

Danny pulled up outside of Lindsay's apartment, barley giving himself time to throw his car into park, and turn it off before he was running up the steps, where he was met with the confronting gaze of Frank.

"She doesn't want to see anyone right now Mr. Messer, if you could come back another time—"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence, because Danny was pushing past him and heading for the elevator.

"Not now Frank." He called as the elevator doors closed.

Of course he hadn't known that Frank's attempt to stop him had only been half hearted at the most, and he was pumping his fist in the air, that he had blown him off.

He reached Lindsay's floor, and didn't bother knocking, he threw open the door, which he was surprised was unlocked.

Lindsay turned from watching TV, and stood, back away from him, though she wasn't sure why.

The fear in his eyes, was gone replaced with anger, before softening turning his eyes to cobalt blue as he looked at her, it warmed her heart, and then he spat something at her she hadn't expected.

"My favorite color is purple."

A wave of confusion washed over her.

"I'm not sure why it just always has been, my brother Louie—did you know I have a brother—his name is Louie. Well told me when I was ten that it was a sign that I could be gay, and I spent the next two years of my life, making out with every girl I could find, trying to make damn sure that I was as straight as they come."

"And when I was seven I broke my arm, jumping off the room of my house, just to prove to some neighbors I wasn't scared, even though I had been petrified."

He thrust his hands into his pockets, as he emptied his heart out to the woman.

"My favorite thing to do is wake up early and watch the sunrise. I'm a New York Yankees fan, and would willingly strip down completely on camera, if it meant I could run across that field. I know how to cook, anything from Pop Tarts, to Duck Ala Ronze. I know how to sew. I've done my own laundry since I was six. I proposed to Lisa Lynch in the 7th grade, with my great-grandmother's ring. And do to my mother's insistence, I also know how to knit, ballroom dance, and play the piano."

It continued on like this as he retold every secret he had to her, until he wrapped it up with this.

"I used to try and sleep with every woman I came into contact with, until I met you Lindsay, and since then I haven't nor have I wanted to sleep with another woman or even look at another one. Though I'm quite sure you did keep me up on more than one occasion. I know I don't know a lot about you Lindsay, but I have no problem rectifying that, we can even start right now. But I need you to know Lindsay. That I meant what I said that night. That I do love you, with each and every piece of my heart and soul, and I don't know what I will do to myself if you reject me again. So please for the sake of my life, please tell me that you at least think that we had something, at any point in time, and I will take it I swear to god I will take it."

Lindsay stood shell shocked, but on the inside she was grinning. He had gotten her message and actually came over there, and had let her get to know him.

"Do you know what really happened to me in Montana?"

XxXxXxX

The silence seemed endless, but at least he was still there, which was more than Simon could say.

Sometime halfway through he had taken her hand, and she had to take a minute just to absorb the feel of it against hers.

Finally, after everything was said and done, and her story had been told. Danny looked up at her, and made an attempt at a smile. He didn't say a word, but that didn't matter, because in that moment she didn't need him too.

They sat on the couch for the majority of the day, in the silence until the sounds of the city floated up to them, and filled their world with faint noise.


	34. Chapter 34

2 reviews? Come on people! That is a little pathetic and discouraging. So I've got it all planned out, this is the second to last chapter. A whole year we have had together, and now it's about to come to a close, and i was kind of wanting to know your favorite part or parts of the whole thing, so if you would R&R and tell me what you have like or loved, or even possibly hated about the whole thing.

* * *

Danny remembered the day like it was yesterday. Even though in truth it had been a year and five months ago.

They had stood in Lindsay's apartment. His heart on the floor, having bled every secret he had. A smile had appeared on her face, and he had expected everything but what came out of her mouth.

"Do you know what really happened to me in Montana?"

He stood for a moment, before shaking his head. He knew about the prom, and the loss of her friends, but beyond that he knew nothing. Though he had a feeling that there was more to that story.

"Do you think you can handle it?"

Danny started to say more, but he couldn't Lindsay was already talking again, and on the verge of tears.

"Because if you don't think that you can, then you can go ahead and leave, because this is part of the Lindsay's Monroe all inclusive."

He smiled, and moved toward her, placing a hand on her crossed arms.

"Bring it on Montana."

She smiled at him, and sat down on her couch, the leather creaking underneath her weight, and a slight hissing sound, as air left it.

He felt she wished for him to sit as well, and he placed himself there next to her.

"Well we had left the prom, like you know. And headed for this diner across the street, and hadn't been in there ten minutes, before he got there—"

**_Flashback:_**

**_The ringing of the bell that hung above the door echoed through the small room. As each head turned toward the man standing there._**

**_He said nothing, and didn't seem like he had any intention to move._**

**_"You need something?" A woman behind the counter asked, eyeing him suspiciously._**

**_He turned toward her, and began to mumble to himself._**

**_Once his body was facing the woman, whose nametag read, 'Pam'. Lindsay saw for the first time, what the man held in his palm._**

**_She had seen plenty of guns before, enough to recognize what it was. But beyond that, she was at a loss for what was to happen next._**

**_Lindsay watched him move his arm slowly until it was extended fully, aimed pointedly at the waitress. Who was moving her head back up from it's position of looking at the counter top. She watched in horror as he moved the tip of his finger pulled back the trigger._**

**_The first shot rang out, and she heard the woman called 'Pam' scream, but only for a moment, before she was on the floor and lurching, as Lindsay assumed she was attempting to scream again._**

**_He moved back to Lindsay and her friends. She stood to move in front of them, and he brought the gun back to eye level._**

**_He didn't appear to be aiming at all, but she could see his tear streaked face._**

**_After what felt like a lifetime, she finally got in front of her friends. But he didn't stop for a moment. Firing again, Lindsay felt like a train had slammed into her body, as she fell back against the table, before sliding to the floor._**

**_Another scream came out, she assumed later that it had been her screaming, but she couldn't remember really._**

**_One more shot was fired, and she heard someone slinking to the floor._**

**_"Amber!"_**

**_It was Emma screaming. She had never heard such terror in her life._**

**_Blinking slowly, she opened her eyes to see his tears drip to the floor, and his teeth gritted as he pulled again._**

**_Her heart sunk, as she saw a green canvas slip on fall into her peripheral vision._**

**Aurora****!_ She screamed in her mind, but couldn't bring her mouth to scream it._**

**_Finally, his eyes shifted to the last one standing in the room._**

**_Lindsay heard the pounding of footsteps, and she knew Emma was running toward him._**

**NO!_ She wished to scream. But couldn't make herself do it._**

**_The back of her brown curly hair, bounced as she came into Lindsay's eyesight. She moved quickly, from all of her years of playing soccer. Then the final shot was fired. Lindsay swore she could hear it, split her tan skin, and rip through her tissue and embed itself within her lungs._**

**_She fell to her knees first, then falling backward she was facing Lindsay now._**

**_Emma blinked with the speed of an exhausted infant. Lindsay could hear wheezing coming from her. Then she closed her eyes, and the wheezing stopped._**

**_Lindsay closed her eyes, and tried to not breathe, but it didn't really work well, with her heart racing as fast as it was._**

**_She heard the bathroom door open, and close again with a squeak._**

**_For a moment everything was silent, then the sound of running water came on. Before ceasing again._**

**_The door again was opened and shut._**

**_His shoes moved carefully, as he came closer._**

**_His face was dripping with water, and she assumed that he had splashed his face with cool water._**

**_A drip landed next to her, and smaller drips came to her land on her face._**

**_Lindsay wanted to recoil, away from them. Not wanting anything that has touched that murderer to be on her being, but she knew that she couldn't risk it._**

**_His eyes rolled over the bodies before him. Sighing, he let one more silent tear fall, and he opened the door, the bell ringing once more. Her heart stung at the sound, and he walked from the room._**

**_

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	35. Chapter 35

Alright everyone this is the end :( I never thought I could be so conflicted. I am so excited over how far we have come. But am bummed out because we are now having to bring this to a close. We should all take moment of silence for this beautiful alliance we have created. Now all my little people, I want some MAD reviews here! I want to go out with a bang, and I need your help to accomplish this. Help please!

* * *

Syler ran up the steps, the tails of her dress trailing behind her, and the bouquet in her left hand, heels dangling from two fingers of her right, almost making her sister's coffee spill.

Moving quickly down the hallway an arm wrapped around her waist, and she let out a yelp at the sudden startling contact, and squirmed when she realized who it was.

"Babe, no." She said unconvincingly as he rained kisses down on her neck.

"Come on." Syler could feel him smiled, and she gave into him. Turning her body, she kissed him.

Don back towards the wall, his grin growing as he realized he had won.

"Ow, Hun." Don said, he pulled back and glared at the high heel that had pelted the shell of his ear as she tried to pull on his neck.

"That's what you get." Syler turned her head watching the end of the hallway, knowing that she should be walking past that car right now. For a split second, she entertained the thought of staying and saying hello to him for a little while longer, but Lindsay was stressed enough. Besides it was a much more fun thought of peeling the tux off of him, which he had yet to change into.

Giving him a last peck, Don offered his protest that was cut short as the oak door slammed behind her.

"I'm here!" She announced, entering the room, and was met with relieved sighs from every woman in the room.

Syler rounded the corner, and laid eyes upon her sister, and the bouquet fell loose at her side, as she gazed the radiant sight before her.

Lindsay looked at her in the reflection in the mirror, seeing her dreamy look.

"What?" She asked frantically inspecting herself for something wrong.

"You look amazing sis." Syler stated, moving closer.

Her cheeks tinged with red, as she stood from the small vanity mirror, which cascaded her in a luminescent light, and met her in the middle of the room.

Their hug lasted a long moment, and Syler handed over the steaming liquid with a smile.

"Coffee for the radiant bride."

A knock at the door caused them both to turn. The girl's mother stepped out from behind it.

"It's time."

XxXxXxX

His hands were shaking, and he couldn't seem to make them stop. He had tried everything, he hadn't felt like that since Louie had taken him on the first run with the Tanglewood Boys. But he had resorted to folding his arms, though it did very little to hide the fact that they were shaking.

He wasn't sure if it was because of the day, or the talk he had just had with Lindsay's father, the one that involved lots of threatening to Danny's manhood should he ever do anything to hurt Lindsay, and ended with a handshake and a nervous laugh.

Don placed a steady hand on his shoulder, and he squeezed it encouragingly as he leaned down "Everything is gonna be fine."

He smiled at his friend, and wished he could believe it, as he thrust his quivering hands into the satin pockets he had been forced to wear, under Lindsay's mother's insistence.

He watched Lucas seat the last guest, and turn back to him. Danny smiled, trying to remember if he had ever seen this much of his face before. Walking halfway up the steps he looked over at Danny.

"It's time."

XxXxXxX

The music came on, and everyone stood, and turned toward Lindsay. Danny's jaw fell slack as he laid eyes on the woman he would forevermore call his own. She smiled and looked away from his possessive gaze. He resisted the urge to move from the stage and meet her, because he understood it was tradition to wait until the wedding night, but damn he almost couldn't contain himself.

Finally she reached him, and they turned to face the preacher.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman together in holy matrimony—"

It took him a while, and Danny and Lindsay alike on more than one occasion wished to ask him to just skip to the end, and forget all of the other stuff. But finally the preacher got to the highly awaited part.

"Do you Lindsay Aaliyah Monroe, take Daniel Ezekiel Messer to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse 'til death do you part?"

"I do." She said, with a smile she was sure would split her face.

"Do you Daniel Ezekiel Messer take Lindsay Aaliyah Monroe to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse 'til death do you part."

"I absolutely do."

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss your bride."

The kiss they shared, was nothing like the one they wanted, but each had reminded the other in the weeks before that they were gonna be in public.

They stepped away from each other, the smiles they were wearing hurting their face.

"I now introduce for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Messer."

Everyone jumped to their feet, as Danny turned back to his bride, looking at her with new eyes.

_Screw the public._

**_Fin_**


End file.
